System and method for associating user and vehicle information for communication to a third party

ABSTRACT

A vehicle is provided that detects a first presence of a driver in a vehicle, based upon detecting the first presence, provides a user interface for the driver to enter first user information, information, and communicates the first sensitive information to a vendor to authenticate the combines the first user information and the vehicle information to generate the first sensitive driver to enable the vendor to perform a financial transaction with the driver using the first sensitive information while the vehicle is in motion. The processor is programmed to initiate automatically, on behalf of the driver, the financial transaction with the vendor in response to a sensed state or location of the vehicle.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefits of and priority, under 35U.S.C. §119(e), to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/359,563,filed on Jul. 7, 2016 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.62/378,348, filed on Aug. 23, 2016, both entitled “Next GenerationVehicle.” The entire disclosures of the applications listed above arehereby incorporated by reference, in their entirety, for all that theyteach and for all purposes.

FIELD

The present disclosure is generally directed to vehicle systems, inparticular, toward semi-autonomous or fully autonomous vehicles.

BACKGROUND

In recent years, transportation methods have changed substantially. Thischange is due in part to a concern over the limited availability ofnatural resources, a proliferation in personal technology, and asocietal shift to adopt more environmentally and user-friendlytransportation solutions. These considerations have encouraged thedevelopment of a number of new features on vehicles that allow the userto concentrate on other tasks or on driving.

While these vehicles appear to be new they are generally implemented asa number of traditional subsystems that are executed with acommunication system. In fact, the design and construction of thevehicles is limited to operations that can be completed by drivers.Among other things, these limitations fail to take advantage of theautonomous nature of vehicles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a vehicle in accordance with embodiments of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a vehicle in an environment in accordance with embodimentsof the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an embodiment of a data structure for storinginformation about a vehicle in an environment;

FIG. 4A shows a vehicle in a user environment in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4B shows a vehicle in a fleet management and automated operationenvironment in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4C shows an embodiment of the instrument panel of the vehicleaccording to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 shows charging areas associated with an environment in accordancewith embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 shows a vehicle in a roadway charging environment in accordancewith embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 shows a vehicle in a robotic charging station environment inaccordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 shows a vehicle in an overhead charging environment in accordancewith another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 shows a vehicle in a roadway environment comprising roadwayvehicles in accordance with another embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 10 shows a vehicle in an aerial vehicle charging environment inaccordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 shows a vehicle in an emergency charging environment inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a vehicle in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of a vehicle in accordance with at least someembodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a plan view of a vehicle in accordance with embodiments ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 15 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an electrical system ofthe vehicle;

FIG. 16 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a power generation unitassociated with the electrical system of the vehicle;

FIG. 17 is a block diagram of an embodiment of power storage associatedwith the electrical system of the vehicle;

FIG. 18 is a block diagram of an embodiment of loads associated with theelectrical system of the vehicle;

FIG. 19 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of acommunications subsystem of the vehicle;

FIG. 20 is another view of a vehicle including communication interfacespositioned on the vehicle;

FIG. 21 is a block diagram of a communication interface for conductingsecure communications with the vehicle;

FIG. 22A is a two-dimensional diagram of a physical interconnectionbetween the vehicle and a receiving port;

FIG. 22B is another two-dimensional diagram of a physicalinterconnection between the vehicle and a receiving port;

FIG. 23 is a block diagram of hardware and/or software components thatmay interface a restored in memory for conducting secure communicationswith the vehicle;

FIG. 24 is a block diagram of data that may be stored in the vehicle;

FIG. 25 is a block diagram of data that may be communicated between thevehicle and a third party;

FIG. 26 is a block diagram of data used to do automatic communicationsbetween the vehicle and a third party;

FIG. 27 is a communication diagram between a user in a vehicle includinga dongle;

FIG. 28 is a communication diagram between a vehicle and a second party;

FIG. 29 is a user interface provided within the vehicle;

FIG. 30A is another user interface provided within the vehicle;

FIG. 30B is another user interface provided within the vehicle;

FIG. 31 is another user interface provided within the vehicle;

FIG. 32 is another user interface provided within the vehicle;

FIG. 33 is another user interface provided within the vehicle;

FIG. 34 is another user interface provided within the vehicle;

FIG. 35 is another user interface provided within the vehicle;

FIG. 36A is another user interface provided within the vehicle;

FIG. 36B is another user interface provided within the vehicle;

FIG. 37 is another user interface provided within the vehicle;

FIG. 38 is another user interface provided within the vehicle;

FIG. 39 is another user interface provided within the vehicle;

FIG. 40 is another user interface provided within the vehicle;

FIG. 41 is another user interface provided within the vehicle;

FIG. 42 is another user interface provided within the vehicle;

FIG. 43 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method for providingsecure communications with a vehicle;

FIG. 44 is another flow diagram of an embodiment of a method forproviding secure communications with a vehicle;

FIG. 45 is another flow diagram of an embodiment of a method forproviding secure communications with a vehicle;

FIG. 46 is another flow diagram of an embodiment of a method forproviding secure communications with a vehicle;

FIG. 47 is another flow diagram of an embodiment of a method forproviding secure communications with a vehicle;

FIG. 48 is another flow diagram of an embodiment of a method forproviding secure communications with a vehicle;

FIG. 49 is another flow diagram of an embodiment of a method forproviding secure communications with a vehicle;

FIG. 50 is another flow diagram of an embodiment of a method forproviding secure communications with a vehicle;

FIG. 51 is another flow diagram of an embodiment of a method forproviding secure communications with a vehicle;

FIG. 52 is another flow diagram of an embodiment of a method forproviding secure communications with a vehicle;

FIG. 53 is another flow diagram of an embodiment of a method forproviding secure communications with a vehicle;

FIG. 54A is a block diagram of vehicle systems;

FIG. 54B is a block diagram of a vehicle sensor system;

FIG. 54C is a block diagram of a navigation system;

FIG. 55 is a diagram of a computing environment for the vehicle; and

FIG. 56 is a block diagram of a computing system of the vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in connectionwith a vehicle, and in accordance with one exemplary embodiment anelectric vehicle and/or hybrid-electric vehicle and associated systems.

With attention to FIGS. 1-11, embodiments of the electric vehicle system10 and method of use are depicted.

Referring to FIG. 1, the electric vehicle system comprises electricvehicle 100. The electric vehicle 100 comprises vehicle front 110,vehicle aft 120, vehicle roof 130, vehicle side 160, vehicleundercarriage 140 and vehicle interior 150.

Referring to FIG. 2, the vehicle 100 is depicted in a plurality ofexemplary environments. The vehicle 100 may operate in any one or moreof the depicted environments in any combination. Other embodiments arepossible but are not depicted in FIG. 2. Generally, the vehicle 100 mayoperate in environments which enable charging of the vehicle 100 and/oroperation of the vehicle 100. More specifically, the vehicle 100 mayreceive a charge via one or more means comprising emergency chargingvehicle system 270, aerial vehicle charging system 280, roadway system250, robotic charging system 254 and overhead charging system 258. Thevehicle 100 may interact and/or operate in an environment comprising oneor more other roadway vehicles 260. The vehicle 100 may engage withelements within the vehicle 100 comprising vehicle driver 220, vehiclepassengers 220 and vehicle database 210. In one embodiment, vehicledatabase 210 does not physically reside in the vehicle 100 but isinstead accessed remotely, e.g. by wireless communication, and residesin another location such as a residence or business location. Vehicle100 may operate autonomously and/or semi-autonomously in an autonomousenvironment 290 (here, depicted as a roadway environment presenting aroadway obstacle of which the vehicle 100 autonomously identifies andsteers the vehicle 100 clear of the obstacle). Furthermore, the vehicle100 may engage with a remote operator system 240, which may providefleet management instructions or control.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an embodiment of a data structure 300 for storinginformation about a vehicle 100 in an environment. The data structuremay be stored in vehicle database 210. Generally, data structure 300identifies operational data associated with charging types 310A. Thedata structures 300 may be accessible by a vehicle controller. The datacontained in data structure 300 enables, among other things, for thevehicle 100 to receive a charge from a given charging type.

Exemplar data comprises charging type 310A comprising a manual chargingstation 310J, robotic charging station 310K such as robotic chargingsystem 254, a roadway charging system 310L such as those of roadwaysystem 250, an emergency charging system 310M such as that of emergencycharging vehicle system 270, an emergency charging system 310N such asthat of aerial vehicle charging system 280, and overhead charging type3100 such as that of overhead charging system 258.

Compatible vehicle charging panel types 310B comprise locations onvehicle 100 wherein charging may be received, such as vehicle roof 130,vehicle side 160 and vehicle lower or undercarriage 140. Compatiblevehicle storage units 310C data indicates storage units types that mayreceive power from a given charging type 310A. Available automationlevel 310D data indicates the degree of automation available for a givencharging type; a high level may indicate full automation, allowing thevehicle driver 220 and/or vehicle passengers 230 to not involvethemselves in charging operations, while a low level of automation mayrequire the driver 220 and/or occupant 230 to manipulate/position avehicle charging device to engage with a particular charging type 310Ato receive charging. Charging status 310E indicates whether a chargingtype 310A is available for charging (i.e. is “up”) or is unavailable forcharging (i.e. is “down”). Charge rate 310F provides a relative valuefor time to charge, while Cost 310G indicates the cost to vehicle 100 toreceive a given charge. The Other data element 310H may provideadditional data relevant to a given charging type 310A, such as arecommended separation distance between a vehicle charging plate and thecharging source. The Shielding data element 310I indicates ifelectromagnetic shielding is recommended for a given charging type 310Aand/or charging configuration. Further data fields 310P, 310Q arepossible.

FIG. 4A depicts the vehicle 100 in a user environment comprising vehicledatabase 210, vehicle driver 220 and vehicle passengers 230. Vehicle 100further comprises vehicle instrument panel 400 to facilitate or enableinteractions with one or more of vehicle database 210, vehicle driver220 and vehicle passengers 230. In one embodiment, driver 210 interactswith instrument panel 400 to query database 210 so as to locateavailable charging options and to consider or weigh associated terms andconditions of the charging options. Once a charging option is selected,driver 210 may engage or operate a manual control device (e.g., ajoystick) to position a vehicle charging receiver panel so as to receivea charge.

FIG. 4B depicts the vehicle 100 in a user environment comprising aremote operator system 240 and an autonomous driving environment 290. Inthe remote operator system 240 environment, a fleet of electric vehicles100 (or mixture of electric and non-electric vehicles) is managed and/orcontrolled remotely. For example, a human operator may dictate that onlycertain types of charging types are to be used, or only those chargingtypes below a certain price point are to be used. The remote operatorsystem 240 may comprise a database comprising operational data, such asfleet-wide operational data. In another example, the vehicle 100 mayoperate in an autonomous driving environment 290 wherein the vehicle 100is operated with some degree of autonomy, ranging from completeautonomous operation to semi-automation wherein only specific drivingparameters (e.g., speed control or obstacle avoidance) are maintained orcontrolled autonomously. In FIG. 4B, autonomous driving environment 290depicts an oil slick roadway hazard that triggers that triggers thevehicle 100, while in an automated obstacle avoidance mode, toautomatically steer around the roadway hazard.

FIG. 4C shows one embodiment of the vehicle instrument panel 400 ofvehicle 100. Instrument panel 400 of vehicle 100 comprises steeringwheel 410, vehicle operational display 420 (which would provide basicdriving data such as speed), one or more auxiliary displays 424 (whichmay display, e.g., entertainment applications such as music or radioselections), heads-up display 434 (which may provide, e.g., guidanceinformation such as route to destination, or obstacle warninginformation to warn of a potential collision, or some or all primaryvehicle operational data such as speed), power management display 428(which may provide, e.g., data as to electric power levels of vehicle100), and charging manual controller 432 (which provides a physicalinput, e.g. a joystick, to manual maneuver, e.g., a vehicle chargingplate to a desired separation distance). One or more of displays ofinstrument panel 400 may be touch-screen displays. One or more displaysof instrument panel 400 may be mobile devices and/or applicationsresiding on a mobile device such as a smart phone.

FIG. 5 depicts a charging environment of a roadway charging system 250.The charging area may be in the roadway 504, on the roadway 504, orotherwise adjacent to the roadway 504, and/or combinations thereof. Thisstatic charging area 520B may allow a charge to be transferred evenwhile the electrical vehicle 100 is moving. For example, the staticcharging area 520B may include a charging transmitter (e.g., conductor,etc.) that provides a transfer of energy when in a suitable range of areceiving unit (e.g., an inductor pick up, etc.). In this example, thereceiving unit may be a part of the charging panel associated with theelectrical vehicle 100.

The static charging areas 520A, 520B may be positioned a static areasuch as a designated spot, pad, parking space 540A, 540B, trafficcontrolled space (e.g., an area adjacent to a stop sign, traffic light,gate, etc.), portion of a building, portion of a structure, etc., and/orcombinations thereof. Some static charging areas may require that theelectric vehicle 100 is stationary before a charge, or electrical energytransfer, is initiated. The charging of vehicle 100 may occur by any ofseveral means comprising a plug or other protruding feature. The powersource 516A, 516B may include a receptacle or other receiving feature,and/or vice versa.

The charging area may be a moving charging area 520C. Moving chargingareas 520C may include charging areas associated with one or moreportions of a vehicle, a robotic charging device, a tracked chargingdevice, a rail charging device, etc., and/or combinations thereof. In amoving charging area 520C, the electrical vehicle 100 may be configuredto receive a charge, via a charging panel, while the vehicle 100 ismoving and/or while the vehicle 100 is stationary. In some embodiments,the electrical vehicle 100 may synchronize to move at the same speed,acceleration, and/or path as the moving charging area 520C. In oneembodiment, the moving charging area 520C may synchronize to move at thesame speed, acceleration, and/or path as the electrical vehicle 100. Inany event, the synchronization may be based on an exchange ofinformation communicated across a communications channel between theelectric vehicle 100 and the charging area 520C. Additionally oralternatively, the synchronization may be based on informationassociated with a movement of the electric vehicle 100 and/or the movingcharging area 520C. In some embodiments, the moving charging area 520Cmay be configured to move along a direction or path 532 from an originposition to a destination position 520C′.

In some embodiments, a transformer may be included to convert a powersetting associated with a main power supply to a power supply used bythe charging areas 520A-C. For example, the transformer may increase ordecrease a voltage associated with power supplied via one or more powertransmission lines.

Referring to FIG. 6, a vehicle 100 is shown in a charging environment inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The system 10comprises a vehicle 100, an electrical storage unit 612, an externalpower source 516 able to provide a charge to the vehicle 100, a chargingpanel 608 mounted on the vehicle 100 and in electrical communicationwith the electrical storage unit 612, and a vehicle charging panelcontroller 610. The charging panel controller 610 may determine if theelectrical storage unit requires charging and if conditions allow fordeployment of a charging panel. The vehicle charging panel 608 mayoperate in at least a retracted state and a deployed state (608 and 608′as shown is FIG. 6), and is movable by way of an armature.

The charging panel controller 610 may receive signals from vehiclesensors 626 to determine, for example, if a hazard is present in thepath of the vehicle 100 such that deployment of the vehicle chargingpanel 608 is inadvisable. The charging panel controller 610 may alsoquery vehicle database 210 comprising data structures 300 to establishother required conditions for deployment. For example, the database mayprovide that a particular roadway does not provide a charging service orthe charging service is inactive, wherein the charging panel 108 wouldnot be deployed.

The power source 516 may include at least one electrical transmissionline 624 and at least one power transmitter or charging area 520. Duringa charge, the charging panel 608 may serve to transfer energy from thepower source 516 to at least one energy storage unit 612 (e.g., battery,capacitor, power cell, etc.) of the electric vehicle 100.

FIG. 7 shows a vehicle 100 in a charging station environment 254 inaccordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. Generally,in this embodiment of the invention, charging occurs from a robotic unit700.

Robotic charging unit 700 comprises one or more robotic unit arms 704,at least one robotic unit arm 704 interconnected with charging plate520. The one or more robotic unit arms 704 manoeuver charging plate 520relative to charging panel 608 of vehicle 100. Charging plate 520 ispositioned to a desired or selectable separation distance, as assistedby a separation distance sensor disposed on charging plate 520. Chargingplate 520 may remain at a finite separation distance from charging panel608, or may directly contact charging panel (i.e. such that separationdistance is zero). Charging may be by induction. In alternativeembodiments, separation distance sensor is alternatively or additionallydisposed on robotic arm 704. Vehicle 100 receives charging via chargingpanel 608 which in turn charges energy storage unit 612. Charging panelcontroller 610 is in communication with energy storage unit 612,charging panel 608, vehicle database 300, charge provider controller622, and/or any one of elements of instrument panel 400.

Robotic unit further comprises, is in communication with and/or isinterconnected with charge provider controller 622, power source 516 anda robotic unit database. Power source 516 supplies power, such aselectrical power, to charge plate 520 to enable charging of vehicle 100via charging panel 608. Controller 622 manoeuvers or operates roboticunit 704, either directly and/or completely or with assistance from aremote user, such as a driver or passenger in vehicle 100 by way of, inone embodiment, charging manual controller 432.

FIG. 8 shows a vehicle 100 in an overhead charging environment inaccordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. Generally,in this embodiment of the invention, charging occurs from an overheadtowered charging system 258, similar to existing commuter rail systems.Such an overhead towered system 258 may be easier to build and repaircompared to in-roadway systems. Generally, the invention includes aspecially-designed overhead roadway charging system comprising anoverhead charging cable or first wire 814 that is configured to engagean overhead contact 824 which provides charge to charging panel 608which provides charge to vehicle energy storage unit 612. The overheadtowered charging system 258 may further comprise second wire 818 toprovide stability and structural strength to the roadway charging system800. The first wire 814 and second wire 818 are strung between towers810.

The overhead charging cable or first wire 814 is analogous to a contactwire used to provide charging to electric trains or other vehicles. Anexternal source provides or supplies electrical power to the first wire814. The charge provider comprises an energy source i.e. a providerbattery and a provider charge circuit or controller in communicationwith the provider battery. The overhead charging cable or first wire 814engages the overhead contact 824 which is in electrical communicationwith charge receiver panel 108. The overhead contact 824 may compriseany known means to connect to overhead electrical power cables, such asa pantograph 820, a bow collector, a trolley pole or any means known tothose skilled in the art. Further disclosure regarding electrical poweror energy transfer via overhead systems is found in US Pat. Publ. No.2013/0105264 to Ruth entitled “Pantograph Assembly,” the entire contentsof which are incorporated by reference for all purposes. In oneembodiment, the charging of vehicle 100 by overhead charging system 800via overhead contact 824 is by any means know to those skilled in theart, to include those described in the above-referenced US Pat. Publ.No. 2013/0105264 to Ruth.

The overhead contact 824 presses against the underside of the lowestoverhead wire of the overhead charging system, i.e. the overheadcharging cable or first wire 814, aka the contact wire. The overheadcontact 824 may be electrically conductive. Alternatively oradditionally, the overhead contact 824 may be adapted to receiveelectrical power from overhead charging cable or first wire 814 byinductive charging.

In one embodiment, the receipt and/or control of the energy provided viaoverhead contact 824 (as connected to the energy storage unit 612) isprovided by receiver charge circuit or charging panel controller 110.

Overhead contact 824 and/or charging panel 608 may be located anywhereon vehicle 100, to include, for example, the roof, side panel, trunk,hood, front or rear bumper of the charge receiver 100 vehicle, as longas the overhead contact 824 may engage the overhead charging cable orfirst wire 814. Charging panel 108 may be stationary (e.g. disposed onthe roof of vehicle 100) or may be moveable, e.g. moveable with thepantograph 820. Pantograph 820 may be positioned in at least two statescomprising retracted and extended. In the extended state pantograph 820engages first wire 814 by way of the overhead contact 824. In theretracted state, pantograph 820 may typically reside flush with the roofof vehicle 100 and extend only when required for charging. Control ofthe charging and/or positioning of the charging plate 608, pantograph820 and/or overhead contact 824 may be manual, automatic orsemi-automatic (such as via controller 610); said control may beperformed through a GUI engaged by driver or occupant of receivingvehicle 100 and/or driver or occupant of charging vehicle.

FIG. 9 shows a vehicle in a roadway environment comprising roadwayvehicles 260 in accordance with another embodiment of the presentdisclosure. Roadway vehicles 260 comprise roadway passive vehicles 910and roadway active vehicles 920. Roadway passive vehicles 910 comprisevehicles that are operating on the roadway of vehicle 100 but do nocooperatively or actively engage with vehicle 100. Stated another way,roadway passive vehicles 910 are simply other vehicles operating on theroadway with the vehicle 100 and must be, among other things, avoided(e.g., to include when vehicle 100 is operating in an autonomous orsemi-autonomous manner). In contrast, roadway active vehicles 920comprise vehicles that are operating on the roadway of vehicle 100 andhave the capability to, or actually are, actively engaging with vehicle100. For example, the emergency charging vehicle system 270 is a roadwayactive vehicle 920 in that it may cooperate or engage with vehicle 100to provide charging. In some embodiments, vehicle 100 may exchange datawith a roadway active vehicle 920 such as, for example, data regardingcharging types available to the roadway active vehicle 920.

FIG. 10 shows a vehicle in an aerial vehicle charging environment inaccordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. Generally,this embodiment involves an aerial vehicle (“AV”), such as an UnmannedAerial Vehicle (UAV), flying over or near a vehicle to provide a charge.The UAV may also land on the car to provide an emergency (or routine)charge. Such a charging scheme may be particularly suited for operationsin remote areas, in high traffic situations, and/or when the car ismoving. The AV may be a specially-designed UAV, aka RPV or drone, with acharging panel that can extend from the AV to provide a charge. The AVmay include a battery pack and a charging circuit to deliver a charge tothe vehicle. The AV may be a manned aerial vehicle, such as a pilotedgeneral aviation aircraft, such as a Cessna 172.

With reference to FIG. 10, an exemplar embodiment of a vehicle chargingsystem 100 comprising a charge provider configured as an aerial vehicle280, the aerial vehicle 280 comprising a power source 516 and chargeprovider controller 622. The AV may be semi-autonomous or fullyautonomous. The AV may have a remote pilot/operator providing controlinputs. The power source 516 is configured to provide a charge to acharging panel 608 of vehicle 100. The power source 516 is incommunication with the charge provider controller 622. The aerialvehicle 280 provides a tether 1010 to deploy or extend charging plate520 near to charging panel 608. The tether 1010 may comprise a chain,rope, rigid or semi-rigid tow bar or any means to position chargingplate 520 near charging panel 608. For example, tether 1010 may besimilar to a refueling probe used by airborne tanker aircraft whenrefueling another aircraft.

In one embodiment, the charging plate 520 is not in physicalinterconnection to AV 280, that is, there is no tether 1010. In thisembodiment, the charging plate 520 is positioned and controlled by AV280 by way of a controller on AV 280 or in communication with AV 280.

In one embodiment, the charging plate 520 position and/orcharacteristics (e.g. charging power level, flying separation distance,physical engagement on/off) are controlled by vehicle 100 and/or a userin or driver of vehicle 100.

Charge or power output of power source 516 is provided or transmitted tocharger plate 620 by way of a charging cable or wire, which may beintegral to tether 1010. In one embodiment, the charging cable isnon-structural, that is, it provides zero or little structural supportto the connection between AV 280 and charger plate 520.

Charging panel 608 of vehicle 100 receives power from charger plate 520.Charging panel 608 and charger plate 520 may be in direct physicalcontact (termed a “contact” charger configuration) or not in directphysical contact (termed a “flyer” charger configuration), but must beat or below a threshold (separation) distance to enable charging, suchas by induction. Energy transfer or charging from the charger plate 520to the charging panel 608 is inductive charging (i.e. use of an EM fieldto transfer energy between two objects). The charging panel 608 providesreceived power to energy storage unit 612 by way of charging panelcontroller 610. Charging panel controller 610 is in communication withvehicle database 210, vehicle database 210 comprising an AV chargingdata structure.

Charging panel 508 may be located anywhere on vehicle 100, to include,for example, the roof, side panel, trunk, hood, front or rear bumper andwheel hub of vehicle 100. Charging panel 608 is mounted on the roof ofvehicle 100 in the embodiment of FIG. 10. In some embodiments, chargingpanel 608 may be deployable, i.e. may extend or deploy only whencharging is needed. For example, charging panel 608 may typically resideflush with the roof of vehicle 100 and extend when required forcharging. Similarly, charger plate 520 may, in one embodiment, not beconnected to AV 280 by way of tether 1010 and may instead be mounteddirectly on the AV 280, to include, for example, the wing, empennage,undercarriage to include landing gear, and may be deployable orextendable when required. Tether 1010 may be configured to maneuvercharging plate 520 to any position on vehicle 100 so as to enablecharging. In one embodiment, the AV 280 may land on the vehicle 100 soas to enable charging through direct contact (i.e. the aforementionedcontact charging configuration) between the charging plate 520 and thecharging panel 608 of vehicle 100. Charging may occur while both AV 280and vehicle 100 are moving, while both vehicle 100 and AV 280 are notmoving (i.e., vehicle 100 is parked and AV 280 lands on top of vehicle100), or while vehicle 100 is parked and AV 280 is hovering or circlingabove. Control of the charging and/or positioning of the charging plate520 may be manual, automatic or semi-automatic; said control may beperformed through a GUI engaged by driver or occupant of receivingvehicle 100 and/or driver or occupant of charging AV 280.

FIG. 11 is an exemplar embodiment of a vehicle emergency charging systemcomprising an emergency charging vehicle 270 and charge receiver vehicle100 is disclosed. The emergency charging vehicle 270 is a road vehicle,such as a pick-up truck, as shown in FIG. 11. The emergency chargingvehicle 270 is configured to provide a charge to a charge receivervehicle 100, such as an automobile. The emergency charging vehicle 270comprises an energy source i.e. a charging power source 516 and a chargeprovider controller 622 in communication with the charging power source516. The emergency charging vehicle 270 provides a towed and/orarticulated charger plate 520, as connected to the emergency chargingvehicle 270 by connector 1150. The connector 1150 may comprise a chain,rope, rigid or semi-rigid tow bar or any means to position charger plate520 near the charging panel 608 of vehicle 100. Charge or power outputof charging power source 516 is provided or transmitted to charger plate520 by way of charging cable or wire 1140. In one embodiment, thecharging cable 1140 is non-structural, that is, it provides little or nostructural support to the connection between emergency charging vehicle270 and charging panel 608. Charging panel 608 (of vehicle 100) receivespower from charger plate 520. Charger plate 520 and charging panel 608may be in direct physical contact or not in direct physical contact, butmust be at or below a threshold separation distance to enable charging,such as by induction. Charger plate 520 may comprise wheels or rollersso as to roll along roadway surface. Charger plate 520 may also notcontact the ground surface and instead be suspended above the ground;such a configuration may be termed a “flying” configuration. In theflying configuration, charger plate may form an aerodynamic surface to,for example, facilitate stability and control of the positioning of thecharging plate 520. Energy transfer or charging from the charger plate520 to the charge receiver panel 608 is through inductive charging (i.e.use of an EM field to transfer energy between two objects). The chargingpanel 608 provides received power to energy storage unit 612 directly orby way of charging panel controller 610. In one embodiment, the receiptand/or control of the energy provided via the charging panel 608 isprovided by charging panel controller 610.

Charging panel controller 610 may be located anywhere on charge receivervehicle 100, to include, for example, the roof, side panel, trunk, hood,front or rear bumper and wheel hub of charge receiver 100 vehicle. Insome embodiments, charging panel 608 may be deployable, i.e. may extendor deploy only when charging is needed. For example, charging panel 608may typically stow flush with the lower plane of vehicle 100 and extendwhen required for charging. Similarly, charger plate 520 may, in oneembodiment, not be connected to the lower rear of the emergency chargingvehicle 270 by way of connector 1150 and may instead be mounted on theemergency charging vehicle 270, to include, for example, the roof, sidepanel, trunk, hood, front or rear bumper and wheel hub of emergencycharging vehicle 270. Connector 1150 may be configured to maneuverconnector plate 520 to any position on emergency charging vehicle 270 soas to enable charging. Control of the charging and/or positioning of thecharging plate may be manual, automatic or semi-automatic; said controlmay be performed through a GUI engaged by driver or occupant ofreceiving vehicle and/or driver or occupant of charging vehicle.

FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of a vehicle 100 in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure. Although shown in the form of acar, it should be appreciated that the vehicle 100 described herein mayinclude any conveyance or model of a conveyance, where the conveyancewas designed for the purpose of moving one or more tangible objects,such as people, animals, cargo, and the like. The term “vehicle” doesnot require that a conveyance moves or is capable of movement. Typicalvehicles may include but are in no way limited to cars, trucks,motorcycles, busses, automobiles, trains, railed conveyances, boats,ships, marine conveyances, submarine conveyances, airplanes, spacecraft, flying machines, human-powered conveyances, and the like. In anyevent, the vehicle 100 may include a frame 1204 and one or more bodypanels 1208 mounted or affixed thereto. The vehicle 100 may include oneor more interior components (e.g., components inside an interior space150, or user space, of a vehicle 100, etc.), exterior components (e.g.,components outside of the interior space 150, or user space, of avehicle 100, etc.), drive systems, controls systems, structuralcomponents.

Referring now to FIG. 13, a plan view of a vehicle 100 will be describedin accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. As providedabove, the vehicle 100 may comprise a number of electrical and/ormechanical systems, subsystems, etc. The mechanical systems of thevehicle 100 can include structural, power, safety, and communicationssubsystems, to name a few. While each subsystem may be describedseparately, it should be appreciated that the components of a particularsubsystem may be shared between one or more other subsystems of thevehicle 100.

The structural subsystem includes the frame 1204 of the vehicle 100. Theframe 1204 may comprise a separate frame and body construction (i.e.,body-on-frame construction), a unitary frame and body construction(i.e., a unibody construction), or any other construction defining thestructure of the vehicle 100. The frame 1204 may be made from one ormore materials including, but in no way limited to steel, titanium,aluminum, carbon fiber, plastic, polymers, etc., and/or combinationsthereof. In some embodiments, the frame 1204 may be formed, welded,fused, fastened, pressed, etc., combinations thereof, or otherwiseshaped to define a physical structure and strength of the vehicle 100.In any event, the frame 1204 may comprise one or more surfaces,connections, protrusions, cavities, mounting points, tabs, slots, orother features that are configured to receive other components that makeup the vehicle 100. For example, the body panels, powertrain subsystem,controls systems, interior components, communications subsystem, andsafety subsystem may interconnect with, or attach to, the frame 1204 ofthe vehicle 100.

The frame 1204 may include one or more modular system and/or subsystemconnection mechanisms. These mechanisms may include features that areconfigured to provide a selectively interchangeable interface for one ormore of the systems and/or subsystems described herein. The mechanismsmay provide for a quick exchange, or swapping, of components whileproviding enhanced security and adaptability over conventionalmanufacturing or attachment. For instance, the ability to selectivelyinterchange systems and/or subsystems in the vehicle 100 allow thevehicle 100 to adapt to the ever-changing technological demands ofsociety and advances in safety. Among other things, the mechanisms mayprovide for the quick exchange of batteries, capacitors, power sources1308A, 1308B, motors 1312, engines, safety equipment, controllers, userinterfaces, interiors exterior components, body panels 1208, bumpers1316, sensors, etc., and/or combinations thereof. Additionally oralternatively, the mechanisms may provide unique security hardwareand/or software embedded therein that, among other things, can preventfraudulent or low quality construction replacements from being used inthe vehicle 100. Similarly, the mechanisms, subsystems, and/or receivingfeatures in the vehicle 100 may employ poka-yoke, or mistake-proofing,features that ensure a particular mechanism is always interconnectedwith the vehicle 100 in a correct position, function, etc.

By way of example, complete systems or subsystems may be removed and/orreplaced from a vehicle 100 utilizing a single minute exchangeprinciple. In some embodiments, the frame 1204 may include slides,receptacles, cavities, protrusions, and/or a number of other featuresthat allow for quick exchange of system components. In one embodiment,the frame 1204 may include tray or ledge features, mechanicalinterconnection features, locking mechanisms, retaining mechanisms,etc., and/or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, it may bebeneficial to quickly remove a used power source 1308A, 1308B (e.g.,battery unit, capacitor unit, etc.) from the vehicle 100 and replace theused power source 1308A, 1308B with a charged power source. Continuingthis example, the power source 1308A, 1308B may include selectivelyinterchangeable features that interconnect with the frame 1204 or otherportion of the vehicle 100. For instance, in a power source 1308A, 1308Breplacement, the quick release features may be configured to release thepower source 1308A, 1308B from an engaged position and slide or moveaway from the frame 1204 of a vehicle 100. Once removed, the powersource 1308A, 1308B may be replaced (e.g., with a new power source, acharged power source, etc.) by engaging the replacement power sourceinto a system receiving position adjacent to the vehicle 100. In someembodiments, the vehicle 100 may include one or more actuatorsconfigured to position, lift, slide, or otherwise engage the replacementpower source with the vehicle 100. In one embodiment, the replacementpower source may be inserted into the vehicle 100 or vehicle frame 1204with mechanisms and/or machines that are external or separate from thevehicle 100.

In some embodiments, the frame 1204 may include one or more featuresconfigured to selectively interconnect with other vehicles and/orportions of vehicles. These selectively interconnecting features canallow for one or more vehicles to selectively couple together anddecouple for a variety of purposes. For example, it is an aspect of thepresent disclosure that a number of vehicles may be selectively coupledtogether to share energy, increase power output, provide security,decrease power consumption, provide towing services, and/or provide arange of other benefits. Continuing this example, the vehicles may becoupled together based on travel route, destination, preferences,settings, sensor information, and/or some other data. The coupling maybe initiated by at least one controller of the vehicle and/or trafficcontrol system upon determining that a coupling is beneficial to one ormore vehicles in a group of vehicles or a traffic system. As can beappreciated, the power consumption for a group of vehicles traveling ina same direction may be reduced or decreased by removing any aerodynamicseparation between vehicles. In this case, the vehicles may be coupledtogether to subject only the foremost vehicle in the coupling to airand/or wind resistance during travel. In one embodiment, the poweroutput by the group of vehicles may be proportionally or selectivelycontrolled to provide a specific output from each of the one or more ofthe vehicles in the group.

The interconnecting, or coupling, features may be configured aselectromagnetic mechanisms, mechanical couplings, electromechanicalcoupling mechanisms, etc., and/or combinations thereof. The features maybe selectively deployed from a portion of the frame 1204 and/or body ofthe vehicle 100. In some cases, the features may be built into the frame1204 and/or body of the vehicle 100. In any event, the features maydeploy from an unexposed position to an exposed position or may beconfigured to selectively engage/disengage without requiring an exposureor deployment of the mechanism from the frame 1204 and/or body. In someembodiments, the interconnecting features may be configured tointerconnect one or more of power, communications, electrical energy,fuel, and/or the like. One or more of the power, mechanical, and/orcommunications connections between vehicles may be part of a singleinterconnection mechanism. In some embodiments, the interconnectionmechanism may include multiple connection mechanisms. In any event, thesingle interconnection mechanism or the interconnection mechanism mayemploy the poka-yoke features as described above.

The power system of the vehicle 100 may include the powertrain, powerdistribution system, accessory power system, and/or any other componentsthat store power, provide power, convert power, and/or distribute powerto one or more portions of the vehicle 100. The powertrain may includethe one or more electric motors 1312 of the vehicle 100. The electricmotors 1312 are configured to convert electrical energy provided by apower source into mechanical energy. This mechanical energy may be inthe form of a rotational or other output force that is configured topropel or otherwise provide a motive force for the vehicle 100.

In some embodiments, the vehicle 100 may include one or more drivewheels 1320 that are driven by the one or more electric motors 1312 andmotor controllers 1314. In some cases, the vehicle 100 may include anelectric motor 1312 configured to provide a driving force for each drivewheel 1320. In other cases, a single electric motor 1312 may beconfigured to share an output force between two or more drive wheels1320 via one or more power transmission components. It is an aspect ofthe present disclosure that the powertrain include one or more powertransmission components, motor controllers 1314, and/or powercontrollers that can provide a controlled output of power to one or moreof the drive wheels 1320 of the vehicle 100. The power transmissioncomponents, power controllers, or motor controllers 1314 may becontrolled by at least one other vehicle controller described herein.

As provided above, the powertrain of the vehicle 100 may include one ormore power sources 1308A, 1308B. These one or more power sources 1308A,1308B may be configured to provide drive power, system and/or subsystempower, accessory power, etc. While described herein as a single powersource 1308 for sake of clarity, embodiments of the present disclosureare not so limited. For example, it should be appreciated thatindependent, different, or separate power sources 1308A, 1308B mayprovide power to various systems of the vehicle 100. For instance, adrive power source may be configured to provide the power for the one ormore electric motors 1312 of the vehicle 100, while a system powersource may be configured to provide the power for one or more othersystems and/or subsystems of the vehicle 100. Other power sources mayinclude an accessory power source, a backup power source, a criticalsystem power source, and/or other separate power sources. Separating thepower sources 1308A, 1308B in this manner may provide a number ofbenefits over conventional vehicle systems. For example, separating thepower sources 1308A, 1308B allow one power source 1308 to be removedand/or replaced independently without requiring that power be removedfrom all systems and/or subsystems of the vehicle 100 during a powersource 1308 removal/replacement. For instance, one or more of theaccessories, communications, safety equipment, and/or backup powersystems, etc., may be maintained even when a particular power source1308A, 1308B is depleted, removed, or becomes otherwise inoperable.

In some embodiments, the drive power source may be separated into two ormore cells, units, sources, and/or systems. By way of example, a vehicle100 may include a first drive power source 1308A and a second drivepower source 1308B. The first drive power source 1308A may be operatedindependently from or in conjunction with the second drive power source1308B and vice versa. Continuing this example, the first drive powersource 1308A may be removed from a vehicle while a second drive powersource 1308B can be maintained in the vehicle 100 to provide drivepower. This approach allows the vehicle 100 to significantly reduceweight (e.g., of the first drive power source 1308A, etc.) and improvepower consumption, even if only for a temporary period of time. In somecases, a vehicle 100 running low on power may automatically determinethat pulling over to a rest area, emergency lane, and removing, or“dropping off,” at least one power source 1308A, 1308B may reduce enoughweight of the vehicle 100 to allow the vehicle 100 to navigate to theclosest power source replacement and/or charging area. In someembodiments, the removed, or “dropped off,” power source 1308A may becollected by a collection service, vehicle mechanic, tow truck, or evenanother vehicle or individual.

The power source 1308 may include a GPS or other geographical locationsystem that may be configured to emit a location signal to one or morereceiving entities. For instance, the signal may be broadcast ortargeted to a specific receiving party. Additionally or alternatively,the power source 1308 may include a unique identifier that may be usedto associate the power source 1308 with a particular vehicle 100 orvehicle user. This unique identifier may allow an efficient recovery ofthe power source 1308 dropped off. In some embodiments, the uniqueidentifier may provide information for the particular vehicle 100 orvehicle user to be billed or charged with a cost of recovery for thepower source 1308.

The power source 1308 may include a charge controller 1324 that may beconfigured to determine charge levels of the power source 1308, controla rate at which charge is drawn from the power source 1308, control arate at which charge is added to the power source 1308, and/or monitor ahealth of the power source 1308 (e.g., one or more cells, portions,etc.). In some embodiments, the charge controller 1324 or the powersource 1308 may include a communication interface. The communicationinterface can allow the charge controller 1324 to report a state of thepower source 1308 to one or more other controllers of the vehicle 100 oreven communicate with a communication device separate and/or apart fromthe vehicle 100. Additionally or alternatively, the communicationinterface may be configured to receive instructions (e.g., controlinstructions, charge instructions, communication instructions, etc.)from one or more other controllers of the vehicle 100 or a communicationdevice that is separate and/or apart from the vehicle 100.

The powertrain includes one or more power distribution systemsconfigured to transmit power from the power source 1308 to one or moreelectric motors 1312 in the vehicle 100. The power distribution systemmay include electrical interconnections 1328 in the form of cables,wires, traces, wireless power transmission systems, etc., and/orcombinations thereof. It is an aspect of the present disclosure that thevehicle 100 include one or more redundant electrical interconnections1332 of the power distribution system. The redundant electricalinterconnections 1332 can allow power to be distributed to one or moresystems and/or subsystems of the vehicle 100 even in the event of afailure of an electrical interconnection portion of the vehicle 100(e.g., due to an accident, mishap, tampering, or other harm to aparticular electrical interconnection, etc.). In some embodiments, auser of a vehicle 100 may be alerted via a user interface associatedwith the vehicle 100 that a redundant electrical interconnection 1332 isbeing used and/or damage has occurred to a particular area of thevehicle electrical system. In any event, the one or more redundantelectrical interconnections 1332 may be configured along completelydifferent routes than the electrical interconnections 1328 and/orinclude different modes of failure than the electrical interconnections1328 to, among other things, prevent a total interruption powerdistribution in the event of a failure.

In some embodiments, the power distribution system may include an energyrecovery system 1336. This energy recovery system 1336, or kineticenergy recovery system, may be configured to recover energy produced bythe movement of a vehicle 100. The recovered energy may be stored aselectrical and/or mechanical energy. For instance, as a vehicle 100travels or moves, a certain amount of energy is required to accelerate,maintain a speed, stop, or slow the vehicle 100. In any event, a movingvehicle has a certain amount of kinetic energy. When brakes are appliedin a typical moving vehicle, most of the kinetic energy of the vehicleis lost as the generation of heat in the braking mechanism. In an energyrecovery system 1336, when a vehicle 100 brakes, at least a portion ofthe kinetic energy is converted into electrical and/or mechanical energyfor storage. Mechanical energy may be stored as mechanical movement(e.g., in a flywheel, etc.) and electrical energy may be stored inbatteries, capacitors, and/or some other electrical storage system. Insome embodiments, electrical energy recovered may be stored in the powersource 1308. For example, the recovered electrical energy may be used tocharge the power source 1308 of the vehicle 100.

The vehicle 100 may include one or more safety systems. Vehicle safetysystems can include a variety of mechanical and/or electrical componentsincluding, but in no way limited to, low impact or energy-absorbingbumpers 1316A, 1316B, crumple zones, reinforced body panels, reinforcedframe components, impact bars, power source containment zones, safetyglass, seatbelts, supplemental restraint systems, air bags, escapehatches, removable access panels, impact sensors, accelerometers, visionsystems, radar systems, etc., and/or the like. In some embodiments, theone or more of the safety components may include a safety sensor orgroup of safety sensors associated with the one or more of the safetycomponents. For example, a crumple zone may include one or more straingages, impact sensors, pressure transducers, etc. These sensors may beconfigured to detect or determine whether a portion of the vehicle 100has been subjected to a particular force, deformation, or other impact.Once detected, the information collected by the sensors may betransmitted or sent to one or more of a controller of the vehicle 100(e.g., a safety controller, vehicle controller, etc.) or a communicationdevice associated with the vehicle 100 (e.g., across a communicationnetwork, etc.).

FIG. 14 shows a plan view of the vehicle 100 in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure. In particular, FIG. 14 shows abroken section 1402 of a charging system for the vehicle 100. Thecharging system may include a plug or receptacle 1404 configured toreceive power from an external power source (e.g., a source of powerthat is external to and/or separate from the vehicle 100, etc.). Anexample of an external power source may include the standard industrial,commercial, or residential power that is provided across power lines.Another example of an external power source may include a proprietarypower system configured to provide power to the vehicle 100. In anyevent, power received at the plug/receptacle 1404 may be transferred viaat least one power transmission interconnection 1408. Similar, if notidentical, to the electrical interconnections 1328 described above, theat least one power transmission interconnection 1408 may be one or morecables, wires, traces, wireless power transmission systems, etc., and/orcombinations thereof. Electrical energy in the form of charge can betransferred from the external power source to the charge controller1324. As provided above, the charge controller 1324 may regulate theaddition of charge to the power source 1308 of the vehicle 100 (e.g.,until the power source 1308 is full or at a capacity, etc.).

In some embodiments, the vehicle 100 may include an inductive chargingsystem and inductive charger 1412. The inductive charger 1412 may beconfigured to receive electrical energy from an inductive power sourceexternal to the vehicle 100. In one embodiment, when the vehicle 100and/or the inductive charger 1412 is positioned over an inductive powersource external to the vehicle 100, electrical energy can be transferredfrom the inductive power source to the vehicle 100. For example, theinductive charger 1412 may receive the charge and transfer the chargevia at least one power transmission interconnection 1408 to the chargecontroller 1324 and/or the power source 1308 of the vehicle 100. Theinductive charger 1412 may be concealed in a portion of the vehicle 100(e.g., at least partially protected by the frame 1204, one or more bodypanels 1208, a shroud, a shield, a protective cover, etc., and/orcombinations thereof) and/or may be deployed from the vehicle 100. Insome embodiments, the inductive charger 1412 may be configured toreceive charge only when the inductive charger 1412 is deployed from thevehicle 100. In other embodiments, the inductive charger 1412 may beconfigured to receive charge while concealed in the portion of thevehicle 100.

In addition to the mechanical components described herein, the vehicle100 may include a number of user interface devices. The user interfacedevices receive and translate human input into a mechanical movement orelectrical signal or stimulus. The human input may be one or more ofmotion (e.g., body movement, body part movement, in two-dimensional orthree-dimensional space, etc.), voice, touch, and/or physicalinteraction with the components of the vehicle 100. In some embodiments,the human input may be configured to control one or more functions ofthe vehicle 100 and/or systems of the vehicle 100 described herein. Userinterfaces may include, but are in no way limited to, at least onegraphical user interface of a display device, steering wheel ormechanism, transmission lever or button (e.g., including park, neutral,reverse, and/or drive positions, etc.), throttle control pedal ormechanism, brake control pedal or mechanism, power control switch,communications equipment, etc.

An embodiment of the electrical system 1500 associated with the vehicle100 may be as shown in FIG. 15. The electrical system 1500 can includepower source(s) that generate power, power storage that stores power,and/or load(s) that consume power. Power sources may be associated witha power generation unit 1504. Power storage may be associated with apower storage system 612. Loads may be associated with loads 1508. Theelectrical system 1500 may be managed by a power management controller1324. Further, the electrical system 1500 can include one or more otherinterfaces or controllers, which can include the billing and costcontrol unit 1512.

The power generation unit 1504 may be as described in conjunction withFIG. 16. The power storage component 612 may be as described inconjunction with FIG. 17. The loads 1508 may be as described inconjunction with FIG. 18.

The billing and cost control unit 1512 may interface with the powermanagement controller 1324 to determine the amount of charge or powerprovided to the power storage 612 through the power generation unit1504. The billing and cost control unit 1512 can then provideinformation for billing the vehicle owner. Thus, the billing and costcontrol unit 1512 can receive and/or send power information to thirdparty system(s) regarding the received charge from an external source.The information provided can help determine an amount of money required,from the owner of the vehicle, as payment for the provided power.Alternatively, or in addition, if the owner of the vehicle providedpower to another vehicle (or another device/system), that owner may beowed compensation for the provided power or energy, e.g., a credit.

The power management controller 1324 can be a computer or computingsystem(s) and/or electrical system with associated components, asdescribed herein, capable of managing the power generation unit 1504 toreceive power, routing the power to the power storage 612, and thenproviding the power from either the power generation unit 1504 and/orthe power storage 612 to the loads 1508. Thus, the power managementcontroller 1324 may execute programming that controls switches, devices,components, etc. involved in the reception, storage, and provision ofthe power in the electrical system 1500.

An embodiment of the power generation unit 1504 may be as shown in FIG.16. Generally, the power generation unit 1504 may be electricallycoupled to one or more power sources 1308. The power sources 1308 caninclude power sources internal and/or associated with the vehicle 100and/or power sources external to the vehicle 100 to which the vehicle100 electrically connects. One of the internal power sources can includean on board generator 1604. The generator 1604 may be an alternatingcurrent (AC) generator, a direct current (DC) generator or aself-excited generator. The AC generators can include inductiongenerators, linear electric generators, and/or other types ofgenerators. The DC generators can include homopolar generators and/orother types of generators. The generator 1604 can be brushless orinclude brush contacts and generate the electric field with permanentmagnets or through induction. The generator 1604 may be mechanicallycoupled to a source of kinetic energy, such as an axle or some otherpower take-off. The generator 1604 may also have another mechanicalcoupling to an exterior source of kinetic energy, for example, a windturbine.

Another power source 1308 may include wired or wireless charging 1608.The wireless charging system 1608 may include inductive and/or resonantfrequency inductive charging systems that can include coils, frequencygenerators, controllers, etc. Wired charging may be any kind ofgrid-connected charging that has a physical connection, although, thewireless charging may be grid connected through a wireless interface.The wired charging system can include connectors, wiredinterconnections, the controllers, etc. The wired and wireless chargingsystems 1608 can provide power to the power generation unit 1504 fromexternal power sources 1308.

Internal sources for power may include a regenerative braking system1612. The regenerative braking system 1612 can convert the kineticenergy of the moving car into electrical energy through a generationsystem mounted within the wheels, axle, and/or braking system of thevehicle 100. The regenerative braking system 1612 can include any coils,magnets, electrical interconnections, converters, controllers, etc.required to convert the kinetic energy into electrical energy.

Another source of power 1308, internal to or associated with the vehicle100, may be a solar array 1616. The solar array 1616 may include anysystem or device of one or more solar cells mounted on the exterior ofthe vehicle 100 or integrated within the body panels of the vehicle 100that provides or converts solar energy into electrical energy to provideto the power generation unit 1504.

The power sources 1308 may be connected to the power generation unit1504 through an electrical interconnection 1618. The electricalinterconnection 1618 can include any wire, interface, bus, etc. betweenthe one or more power sources 1308 and the power generation unit 1504.

The power generation unit 1504 can also include a power source interface1620. The power source interface 1620 can be any type of physical and/orelectrical interface used to receive the electrical energy from the oneor more power sources 1308; thus, the power source interface 1620 caninclude an electrical interface 1624 that receives the electrical energyand a mechanical interface 1628 which may include wires, connectors, orother types of devices or physical connections. The mechanical interface1608 can also include a physical/electrical connection 1634 to the powergeneration unit 1504.

The electrical energy from the power source 1308 can be processedthrough the power source interface 1624 to an electric converter 1632.The electric converter 1632 may convert the characteristics of the powerfrom one of the power sources into a useable form that may be usedeither by the power storage 612 or one or more loads 1508 within thevehicle 100. The electrical converter 1624 may include any electronicsor electrical devices and/or component that can change electricalcharacteristics, e.g., AC frequency, amplitude, phase, etc. associatedwith the electrical energy provided by the power source 1308. Theconverted electrical energy may then be provided to an optionalconditioner 1638. The conditioner 1638 may include any electronics orelectrical devices and/or component that may further condition theconverted electrical energy by removing harmonics, noise, etc. from theelectrical energy to provide a more stable and effective form of powerto the vehicle 100.

An embodiment of the power storage 1612 may be as shown in FIG. 17. Thepower storage unit can include an electrical converter 1632 b, one ormore batteries, one or more rechargeable batteries, one or morecapacitors, one or more accumulators, one or more supercapacitors, oneor more ultrabatteries, and/or superconducting magnetics 1704, and/or acharge management unit 1708. The converter 1632 b may be the same orsimilar to the electrical converter 1632 a shown in FIG. 16. Theconverter 1632 b may be a replacement for the electric converter 1632 ashown in FIG. 16 and thus eliminate the need for the electricalconverter 1632 a as shown in FIG. 16. However, if the electricalconverter 1632 a is provided in the power generation unit 1504, theconverter 1632 b, as shown in the power storage unit 612, may beeliminated. The converter 1632 b can also be redundant or different fromthe electrical converter 1632 a shown in FIG. 16 and may provide adifferent form of energy to the battery and/or capacitors 1704. Thus,the converter 1632 b can change the energy characteristics specificallyfor the battery/capacitor 1704.

The battery 1704 can be any type of battery for storing electricalenergy, for example, a lithium ion battery, a lead acid battery, anickel cadmium battery, etc. Further, the battery 1704 may includedifferent types of power storage systems, such as, ionic fluids or othertypes of fuel cell systems. The energy storage 1704 may also include oneor more high-capacity capacitors 1704. The capacitors 1704 may be usedfor long-term or short-term storage of electrical energy. The input intothe battery or capacitor 1704 may be different from the output, andthus, the capacitor 1704 may be charged quickly but drain slowly. Thefunctioning of the converter 1632 and battery capacitor 1704 may bemonitored or managed by a charge management unit 1708.

The charge management unit 1708 can include any hardware (e.g., anyelectronics or electrical devices and/or components), software, orfirmware operable to adjust the operations of the converter 1632 orbatteries/capacitors 1704. The charge management unit 1708 can receiveinputs or periodically monitor the converter 1632 and/orbattery/capacitor 1704 from this information; the charge management unit1708 may then adjust settings or inputs into the converter 1632 orbattery/capacitor 1704 to control the operation of the power storagesystem 612.

An embodiment of one or more loads 1508 associated with the vehicle 100may be as shown in FIG. 18. The loads 1508 may include a bus orelectrical interconnection system 1802, which provides electrical energyto one or more different loads within the vehicle 100. The bus 1802 canbe any number of wires or interfaces used to connect the powergeneration unit 1504 and/or power storage 1612 to the one or more loads1508. The converter 1632 c may be an interface from the power generationunit 1504 or the power storage 612 into the loads 1508. The converter1632 c may be the same or similar to electric converter 1632 a as shownin FIG. 16. Similar to the discussion of the converter 1632 b in FIG.17, the converter 1632 c may be eliminated, if the electric converter1632 a, shown in FIG. 16, is present. However, the converter 1632 c mayfurther condition or change the energy characteristics for the bus 1802for use by the loads 1508. The converter 1632 c may also provideelectrical energy to electric motor 1804, which may power the vehicle100.

The electric motor 1804 can be any type of DC or AC electric motor. Theelectric motor may be a direct drive or induction motor using permanentmagnets and/or winding either on the stator or rotor. The electric motor1804 may also be wireless or include brush contacts. The electric motor1804 may be capable of providing a torque and enough kinetic energy tomove the vehicle 100 in traffic.

The different loads 1508 may also include environmental loads 1812,sensor loads 1816, safety loads 1820, user interaction loads 1808, etc.User interaction loads 1808 can be any energy used by user interfaces orsystems that interact with the driver and/or passenger(s). These loads1808 may include, for example, the heads up display, the dash display,the radio, user interfaces on the head unit, lights, radio, and/or othertypes of loads that provide or receive information from the occupants ofthe vehicle 100. The environmental loads 1812 can be any loads used tocontrol the environment within the vehicle 100. For example, the airconditioning or heating unit of the vehicle 100 can be environmentalloads 1812. Other environmental loads can include lights, fans, and/ordefrosting units, etc. that may control the environment within thevehicle 100. The sensor loads 1816 can be any loads used by sensors, forexample, air bag sensors, GPS, and other such sensors used to eithermanage or control the vehicle 100 and/or provide information or feedbackto the vehicle occupants. The safety loads 1820 can include any safetyequipment, for example, seat belt alarms, airbags, headlights, blinkers,etc. that may be used to manage the safety of the occupants. There maybe more or fewer loads than those described herein, although they maynot be shown in FIG. 18.

FIG. 19 illustrates an exemplary hardware diagram of communicationscomponentry that can be optionally associated with the vehicle.

The communications componentry can include one or more wired or wirelessdevices such as a transceiver(s) and/or modem that allows communicationsnot only between the various systems disclosed herein but also withother devices, such as devices on a network, and/or on a distributednetwork such as the Internet and/or in the cloud.

The communications subsystem can also include inter- and intra-vehiclecommunications capabilities such as hotspot and/or access pointconnectivity for any one or more of the vehicle occupants and/orvehicle-to-vehicle communications.

Additionally, and while not specifically illustrated, the communicationssubsystem can include one or more communications links (that can bewired or wireless) and/or communications busses (managed by the busmanager), including one or more of CANbus, OBD-II, ARCINC 429,Byteflight, CAN (Controller Area Network), D2B (Domestic Digital Bus),FlexRay, DC-BUS, IDB-1394, IEBus, I²C, ISO 9141-1/-2, J1708, J1587,J1850, J1939, ISO 11783, Keyword Protocol 2000, LIN (Local InterconnectNetwork), MOST (Media Oriended Systems Transport), Multifunction VehicleBus, SMARTwireX, SPI, VAN (Vehicle Area Network), and the like or ingeneral any communications protocol and/or standard.

The various protocols and communications can be communicated one or moreof wirelessly and/or over transmission media such as single wire,twisted pair, fibre optic, IEEE 1394, MIL-STD-1553, MIL-STD-1773,power-line communication, or the like. (All of the above standards andprotocols are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety)

As discussed, the communications subsystem enables communicationsbetween any if the inter-vehicle systems and subsystems as well ascommunications with non-collocated resources, such as those reachableover a network such as the Internet.

The communications subsystem, in addition to well-known componentry(which has been omitted for clarity), the device communicationssubsystem 1900 includes interconnected elements including one or moreof: one or more antennas 1904, an interleaver/deinterleaver 1908, ananalog front end (AFE) 1912, memory/storage/cache 1916,controller/microprocessor 1920, MAC circuitry 1922,modulator/demodulator 1924, encoder/decoder 1928, a plurality ofconnectivity managers 1934-1966, GPU 1942, accelerator 1944, amultiplexer/demultiplexer 1954, transmitter 1970, receiver 1972 andwireless radio 310 components such as a Wi-Fi PHY/Bluetooth® module1980, a Wi-Fi/BT MAC module 1984, transmitter 1988 and receiver 1992.The various elements in the device 1900 are connected by one or morelinks/busses 5 (not shown, again for sake of clarity).

The device 400 can have one more antennas 1904, for use in wirelesscommunications such as multi-input multi-output (MIMO) communications,multi-user multi-input multi-output (MU-MIMO) communications Bluetooth®,LTE, 4G, 5G, Near-Field Communication (NFC), etc. The antenna(s) 1904can include, but are not limited to one or more of directional antennas,omnidirectional antennas, monopoles, patch antennas, loop antennas,microstrip antennas, dipoles, and any other antenna(s) suitable forcommunication transmission/reception. In an exemplary embodiment,transmission/reception using MIMO may require particular antennaspacing. In another exemplary embodiment, MIMO transmission/receptioncan enable spatial diversity allowing for different channelcharacteristics at each of the antennas. In yet another embodiment, MIMOtransmission/reception can be used to distribute resources to multipleusers for example within the vehicle and/or in another vehicle.

Antenna(s) 1904 generally interact with the Analog Front End (AFE) 1912,which is needed to enable the correct processing of the receivedmodulated signal and signal conditioning for a transmitted signal. TheAFE 1912 can be functionally located between the antenna and a digitalbaseband system in order to convert the analog signal into a digitalsignal for processing and vice-versa.

The subsystem 1900 can also include a controller/microprocessor 1920 anda memory/storage/cache 1916. The subsystem 1900 can interact with thememory/storage/cache 1916 which may store information and operationsnecessary for configuring and transmitting or receiving the informationdescribed herein. The memory/storage/cache 1916 may also be used inconnection with the execution of application programming or instructionsby the controller/microprocessor 1920, and for temporary or long termstorage of program instructions and/or data. As examples, thememory/storage/cache 1920 may comprise a computer-readable device, RAM,ROM, DRAM, SDRAM, and/or other storage device(s) and media.

The controller/microprocessor 1920 may comprise a general purposeprogrammable processor or controller for executing applicationprogramming or instructions related to the subsystem 1900. Furthermore,the controller/microprocessor 1920 can perform operations forconfiguring and transmitting/receiving information as described herein.The controller/microprocessor 1920 may include multiple processor cores,and/or implement multiple virtual processors. Optionally, thecontroller/microprocessor 1920 may include multiple physical processors.By way of example, the controller/microprocessor 1920 may comprise aspecially configured Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) orother integrated circuit, a digital signal processor(s), a controller, ahardwired electronic or logic circuit, a programmable logic device orgate array, a special purpose computer, or the like.

The subsystem 1900 can further include a transmitter 1970 and receiver1972 which can transmit and receive signals, respectively, to and fromother devices, subsystems and/or other destinations using the one ormore antennas 1904 and/or links/busses. Included in the subsystem 1900circuitry is the medium access control or MAC Circuitry 1922. MACcircuitry 1922 provides for controlling access to the wireless medium.In an exemplary embodiment, the MAC circuitry 1922 may be arranged tocontend for the wireless medium and configure frames or packets forcommunicating over the wireless medium.

The subsystem 1900 can also optionally contain a security module (notshown). This security module can contain information regarding but notlimited to, security parameters required to connect the device to one ormore other devices or other available network(s), and can include WEP orWPA/WPA-2 (optionally +AES and/or TKIP) security access keys, networkkeys, etc. The WEP security access key is a security password used byWi-Fi networks. Knowledge of this code can enable a wireless device toexchange information with an access point and/or another device. Theinformation exchange can occur through encoded messages with the WEPaccess code often being chosen by the network administrator. WPA is anadded security standard that is also used in conjunction with networkconnectivity with stronger encryption than WEP.

The exemplary subsystem 1900 also includes a GPU 1942, an accelerator1944, a Wi-Fi/BT/BLE PHY module 1980 and a Wi-Fi/BT/BLE MAC module 1984and wireless transmitter 1988 and receiver 1992.

The various connectivity managers 1934-1966 manage and/or coordinatecommunications between the subsystem 1900 and one or more of the systemsdisclosed herein and one or more other devices/systems. The connectivitymanagers include an emergency charging connectivity manager 1934, anaerial charging connectivity manager 1938, a roadway chargingconnectivity manager 1942, an overhead charging connectivity manager1946, a robotic charging connectivity manager 1950, a static chargingconnectivity manager 1954, a vehicle database connectivity manager 1958,a remote operating system connectivity manager 1962 and a sensorconnectivity manager 1966.

The emergency charging connectivity manager 1934 can coordinate not onlythe physical connectivity between the vehicle and the emergency chargingdevice/vehicle, but can also communicate with one or more of the powermanagement controller, one or more third parties and optionally abilling system(s). As an example, the vehicle can establishcommunications with the emergency charging device/vehicle to one or moreof coordinate interconnectivity between the two (e.g., by spatiallyaligning the charging receptacle on the vehicle with the charger on theemergency charging vehicle) and optionally share navigation information.Once charging is complete, the amount of charge provided can be trackedand optionally forwarded to, for example, a third party for billing. Inaddition to being able to manage connectivity for the exchange of power,the emergency charging connectivity manager 1934 can also communicateinformation, such as billing information to the emergency chargingvehicle and/or a third party. This billing information could be, forexample, the owner of the vehicle, the driver of the vehicle, companyinformation, or in general any information usable to charge theappropriate entity for the power received.

The aerial charging connectivity manager 1938 can coordinate not onlythe physical connectivity between the vehicle and the aerial chargingdevice/vehicle, but can also communicate with one or more of the powermanagement controller, one or more third parties and optionally abilling system(s). As an example, the vehicle can establishcommunications with the aerial charging device/vehicle to one or more ofcoordinate interconnectivity between the two (e.g., by spatiallyaligning the charging receptacle on the vehicle with the charger on theemergency charging vehicle) and optionally share navigation information.Once charging is complete, the amount of charge provided can be trackedand optionally forwarded to, for example, a third party for billing. Inaddition to being able to manage connectivity for the exchange of power,the aerial charging connectivity manager 1938 can similarly communicateinformation, such as billing information to the aerial charging vehicleand/or a third party. This billing information could be, for example,the owner of the vehicle, the driver of the vehicle, companyinformation, or in general any information usable to charge theappropriate entity for the power received etc., as discussed.

The roadway charging connectivity manager 1942 and overhead chargingconnectivity manager 1946 can coordinate not only the physicalconnectivity between the vehicle and the charging device/system, but canalso communicate with one or more of the power management controller,one or more third parties and optionally a billing system(s). As oneexample, the vehicle can request a charge from the charging system when,for example, the vehicle needs or is predicted to need power. As anexample, the vehicle can establish communications with the chargingdevice/vehicle to one or more of coordinate interconnectivity betweenthe two for charging and share information for billing. Once charging iscomplete, the amount of charge provided can be tracked and optionallyforwarded to, for example, a third party for billing. This billinginformation could be, for example, the owner of the vehicle, the driverof the vehicle, company information, or in general any informationusable to charge the appropriate entity for the power received etc., asdiscussed. The person responsible for paying for the charge could alsoreceive a copy of the billing information as is customary. The roboticcharging connectivity manager 1950 and static charging connectivitymanager 1954 can operate in a similar manner to that described herein.

The vehicle database connectivity manager 1958 allows the subsystem toreceive and/or share information stored in the vehicle database. Thisinformation can be shared with other vehicle components/subsystemsand/or other entities, such as third parties and/or charging systems.The information can also be shared with one or more vehicle occupantdevices, such as an app on a mobile device the driver uses to trackinformation about the vehicle and/or a dealer or service/maintenanceprovider. In general, any information stored in the vehicle database canoptionally be shared with any one or more other devices optionallysubject to any privacy or confidentially restrictions.

The remote operating system connectivity manager 1962 facilitatescommunications between the vehicle 100 and any one or more autonomousvehicle systems. These communications can include one or more ofnavigation information, vehicle information, occupant information, or ingeneral any information related to the remote operation of the vehicle.

The sensor connectivity manager 1966 facilitates communications betweenany one or more of the vehicle sensors and any one or more of the othervehicle systems. The sensor connectivity manager 1966 can alsofacilitate communications between any one or more of the sensors and/orvehicle systems and any other destination, such as a service company,app, or in general to any destination where sensor data is needed.

In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, any of the communicationsdiscussed herein can be communicated via the conductor(s) used forcharging. One exemplary protocol usable for these communications isPower-line communication (PLC). PLC is a communication protocol thatuses electrical wiring to simultaneously carry both data, andAlternating Current (AC) electric power transmission or electric powerdistribution. It is also known as power-line carrier, power-line digitalsubscriber line (PDSL), mains communication, power-linetelecommunications, or power-line networking (PLN). For DC environmentsin vehicles PLC can be used in conjunction with CANbus, LIN-bus overpower line (DC-LIN) and DC-BUS.

The communications subsystem can also optionally manage one or moreidentifiers, such as an IP (internet protocol) address(es), associatedwith the vehicle and one or other system or subsystems or componentstherein. These identifiers can be used in conjunction with any one ormore of the connectivity managers as discussed herein.

An alternative or additional embodiment of vehicle 100 may be as shownin FIG. 20. The vehicle 100 may have one or more areas for communicatingwith the near field communication interface. The areas may includeantennas 2004 a, 2004 b, and 2004 c. Antennas can include any type ofnear field communication (NFC) antenna including loop antennas and otherantennas that may be embedded in the panels of the vehicle 100. NFC mayemploy electromagnetic induction between two loop antennae when NFCdevices, antennas 2004 a, 2004 b, and 2004 c exchange information,operating within the globally available unlicensed radio frequency ISMband of 13.56 MHz on ISO/IEC 18000-3 air interface at rates ranging from106 to 424 Kbit/s. As such, the antennas 2004 a, 2004 b, and 2004 c canalso include any transceiver circuitry that completes theelectromagnetic induction connection. In some configurations, theantennas 2004 may only include the loop antenna and the antennas 2004may share a common circuitry to enable NFC communications.

The antennas 2004 a, 2004 b, and 2004 c can communicate using one ormore NFC standards. NFC standards cover communications protocols anddata exchange formats and are based on existing radio-frequencyidentification (RFID) standards including ISO/IEC 14443 and FelicityCard (FeliCa). The standards include ISO/IEC 18092 and those defined bythe NFC Forum. In addition to the NFC Forum, the GSM Association (GSMA)group defined a platform for the deployment of GSMA NFC Standards withinmobile handsets. GSMA's efforts include Trusted Services Manager, SingleWire Protocol, testing/certification and secure element. NFC componentsincorporated into the antennas 2004 a, 2004 b, and 2004 c can include,for example, the iClass®, veriClass®, and other NFC devices developed byHID®.

The antennas 2004 a, 2004 b, and 2004 c can be placed in locations onthe vehicle 100 to allow easier connection with other devices. Forexample, antenna 2004 a may be placed on the roof 130 of the vehicle 100to allow for connection with overhead NFC devices, such as may be foundin parking garages. Antenna 2004 c may be positioned outboard on amirror 2016 or side panel of the vehicle 100 to better connect withdevices on walls or other vertical structures, such as may be found atdrive through restaurants and establishments. Another antenna 2004 c maybe within physical proximity to a charging port 2012 or gas tank door tofacilitate communications with a charging device or a gas pump. Otherantennas 2004 may be positioned in other parts of the vehicle 100 tofacilitate other communications with other entities or facilities.

The vehicle 100 may also communicate with a dongle 2008. A dongle 2008may be another hardware/software component that can communicatewirelessly with the vehicle 100. The dongle 2008 may communicate usingan NFC connection or may employ another wireless technology, such asBlueTooth or WLAN technology. A common example of the dongle 2008 is thekeyless entry system of many vehicles. Unlike the simple keyless entrysystem, the dongle 2008 may provide biometric data associated with theuser of the dongle 2008. For example, the dongle 2008 may be associatedwith a single user, which may need to provide a biometric characteristic(e.g., a fingerprint, a voice signature, etc.) to employ the dongle2008. This biometric signature may be exchanged between the dongle 2008and the vehicle 100. Further, the presence of the dongle 2008,determined by a continuous connection between the dongle 2008 and thevehicle 100, can indicate the presence of the associated user holdingthe dongle 2008.

An embodiment of the hardware/software configuration associated with theantennas 2004 may be as shown in FIG. 21. The hardware softwareconfiguration of the antennas 2004 can include a near fieldcommunication chipset 2104 a vehicle interface 2108 and/or a soft touchinterface 2116. Each of these different components 2104 through 2116 caninclude hardware software operable to receive and/or transmit near fieldcommunication or other types of communications to and from the vehicle100.

The near field communication chipset 2104 can include any hardware andsoftware associated with the execution of near field communicationcommunications. As explained previously, loop antenna 2004 of the NFCdevice can be embedded within the vehicle. However, the other circuitryand components of the near field communication devices may beincorporated into a single NFC chipset 2104. Thus, the NFC chipset 2104can include the components that receive data from the loop antenna,decode and/or encode information from or onto the transmission, orconduct other functions that allow for communications over the NFCconnection. For example, the NFC chipset can include, for example, theiClass®, veriClass®, and other NFC devices developed by HID® or similarhardware and/or software.

The soft touch interface 2116 may include a physical interconnectionabilities described in conjunction with FIGS. 22A and 22B. Vehicleinterface 2108 can include any hardware and/or software to exchangecommunications between the NSC chipset 2104 and or the soft touchinterface 2116 and the vehicle processor as described in conjunctionwith FIG. 19. As such, the vehicle interface 2108 can include theapplication programming interface (API) or other communicationscapability that can translate, reconfigure, or manage the data from theNFC antenna 2004 to the vehicle communication system described FIG. 19.

An embodiment of a soft touch interface navies described in FIGS. 22Aand 22B. The soft touch interface may be mounted on an exterior mirror2016. Soft touch interface can include an area 2116. The area 2116 maybe a cavity or other mounting structure for the soft touch interface.The soft touch interface can include a rotating cylinder 2204. Therotating Senate cylinder may be connected to the mounting structure 2116such that the rotating cylinder 2204 can rotate through a range ofmovement. Physically attached to the rotating cylinder 2204 may bearmature 2208. Two or more armatures 2208 cab extend from the rotatingcylinder 2204. The two or more armatures 2208 may be stored inboard ofthe area 2116 in a first position. In a second position, as shown inFIG. 22B, the armatures 2208 may extend outboard of the mirror 2016.Amateurs 2208 may connect to or contact a pad 2212. Both the armatures2208 the pad 2212 may provide for an electric connection. Signals may bepassed between the armatures 2208 and the pad 2212 in the configurationshown in FIG. 22B. Other configurations for the soft touch interface arepossible. These other configurations may include any type of physicalelectrical connection that may be optionally made by moving anelectrical conduit in contact with another electrically conductivesurface.

An embodiment of software 2300 that may be stored within the memory 1916may be as shown in FIG. 23. Software 2300 can include one or more of aninteraction application 2304, an event handling application 2316, abrowser 2320, a geolocation application 2224, a mapping application2328, a vehicle identity application 2332, a motor control application2336, and/or a voice input/output application 2344. The interactionapplication 2304 can include a contactless payment component 2308 and/orhalf token application 2312.

The contactless payment application 2308 can conducts financialtransactions using the vehicle. Contactless payment application 2308 mayconduct the financial transactions with or without user input with thirdparties. The half token application 2312 can provide half tokens orpre-authorizations to third parties when interacting with those thirdparties. As such, the half token application 2312 is capable ofauthenticating or verifying the identity and veracity of the third partyor providing that information for the user to the third party. In someconfigurations, the half token application 2312 is capable of sendingauthorizations for secure information in two or more packetcommunications that may be conducted over different communication mediasuch that a higher-level security is achieved for the vehicle 100.

Event handling application 2316 is capable of receiving eventsassociated with the vehicle 100 or the user. Events can include suchitems as need for charging of the electric vehicle, purchase requests bythe user, service needs of the vehicle 100, communication requests bythe user, or other types of events. Event handler 2316 can receive theevent notifications and instruct other parts or components of thevehicle 100 to respond to the events as received. A browser 2320 can theInternet interface for the vehicle 100 and/or user. Thus, the browsercan be any type of Internet interface, for example, Internet Explorer,Safari, Mozilla, etc. The browser 2320 may also provide Internet accessto the vehicle 100.

Geolocation application 2324 can provide location information to thevehicle 100. The geolocation information may be provided from a GPSantenna, through triangulation of cellular towers or other knownlandmarks, or by some other type of location information. Geolocationinformation may be provided to the mapping application 2228. The mappingapplication 2228 can provide a coordinated location for the vehicle 100based on the geolocation information provided by the geolocationapplication 2324 and one or more maps stored within the vehicle 100.Thus, the mapping application 2328 can resolve the physical locations ofvehicle 100 based on the geolocation information.

The vehicle identity application 2332 can determine the identity of oneor more occupants of the vehicle 100. Thus, the vehicle identityapplication 2332 can use one or more characteristics of biometricinformation to identify users within the vehicle 100. The identity ofthe users may then be used by other components of the vehicle 100.

The motor control application can control the motor function of theelectric vehicle 100. Thus, the motor control application 2336 canaccelerate or decelerate the electric motor based on user input or inputfrom an automated driving function. The motor control function 2236 mayalso include the ability to send information using the motor. As such,the motor control application 2336 can include a data over fieldapplication 2340 which can encode data onto the electric field generatedby the motor. In another configuration, the motor control application2336 can cycle the motor in a pattern to convey information to a devicethat can receive or interpret the electric field of the motor.

The voice input output application 2344 can receive voice input from auser within the vehicle 100. Further, the voice input output can providesound output to the speakers of the vehicle 100. Sound output can besynthesized voice to convey information to the user. In otherconfigurations, the voice input output application 2344 can provide forthe exchange of audio and/or video in a communication between a user ofthe vehicle 100 and another party. If synthesized voice output isprovided, the voice input output application 2344 can include asynthesis module 2348. The synthesis module 2248 can translate writtenor other signals into voice output that can be sent to the speakers ofthe vehicle 100. As such, the driver of the vehicle 100 may not read theinformation but can listen to the information conveyed by the voiceinput/output application 2344.

An embodiment of data system 2400 that may be stored, retrieved, sent,managed etc. with the vehicle 100 and associated with a user may be asshown in FIG. 24. The data structure 2400 can be stored, received,managed, sent by one or more of the systems in one or more of theprocesses described herein. The data structure 2404 can represent secureinformation associated with a user and/or the vehicle 100. Thisinformation data structure 2404 can have one or more data fieldsincluding, but not limited to: biometrics 2408, username 2412, password2416, mobile device information 2420, dongle code 2424, encryption key2428, credentials 2432, vehicle identification number (VIN) 2436, andelectronic serial number (ESN) 2440, and/or an engine code 2444. Theremay be more or fewer fields than those shown in data structure 2404, asrepresented by ellipses 2452. Further, each user of the vehicle 100 mayhave their own data structure, as represented by ellipses 2448.

The biometrics field 2408 can include biometric information for theuser. This information 2408 can include one of more of, but is notlimited to: facial structure, facial recognition information,voiceprint, voice recognition information, eye color, DNA information,fingerprint information, or other types of biometric information thatcould be used to identify the user. This information 2408 may begathered by sensors and stored in data structure 2408.

A username 2412 and password 2416 can be identifying information createdby a user. The username 2412 can be any type of identifying informationthat the user can enter to access vehicle systems, and the password 2416can be another form of data known to the user, used with the username2414, to authenticate the user. The username 2412 and password 2416 maybe created by the user in another computer and downloaded into thevehicle 100 or may be created in the vehicle 100.

The mobile device information 2420 can include any information about oneor more mobile devices or other types of devices that may be associatedwith the user and linked with the vehicle 100. Mobile device information2420 can include the mobile device number, the media access control(MAC) address, a uniform resource locator (URL), or other types ofinformation that might be associated with a mobile device. Further,mobile device information 2420 can include any kind of Bluetooth link,passcode, or information about a wearable that might provide informationabout a user.

The dongle code 2420 can be the code or frequency of the dongle 2008.Thus, this information may be associated with the user rather than withthe vehicle 100 because the dongle 2008 is more user-specific thanvehicle-specific because the user carries the dongle 2008. Informationfrom that dongle 2008 can be associated with any kind of specificinformation about the user. The encryption key 2428 can be any type ofknown secret that is common between the vehicle 100 and the user. Thisencryption key 2428 can include some type of pretty good privacy (PGP)key or other types of encryption information used to encrypt theinformation in the data structure 2404 or other information describedherein.

The credentials 2432 can include any type of other credentials orinformation that might be used to access the encryption key 2428 orother information described herein. These credentials can be other typesof information that may be different than that described previously,such as a barcode or other type of information that might be providedfrom another device or memory or may have been provided by the userthrough a user interface.

The YIN 2436 and ESN 2440 can be information about the vehicle 100. Thisinformation 2436, 2440 may be provided automatically when the datastructure 2404 is created by the processor 5608 of the vehicle 100. TheVIN may be stored not only as plates or information physically connectedto the vehicle but may also be electronic information stored securelywithin the vehicle 100. The ESN 2440 may be an identification number forthe communication system 1900 of the vehicle 100.

The engine code 2448 can be any type of code related to the electric orgasoline engine. This code 2444 can be provided by the engine throughsome type of communication with the magnetic or electric field of theengine. This engine code 2448 can be an alphanumeric code, a numericcode, a globally-unique identifier (GUID), or some other type of code.Thus, similar to the VIN 2436 or the ESN 2440, the engine code 2444 canprovide an identification of the engine.

Another data system 2500 may be as shown in FIG. 25. Here, the datasystem 2500 can include one or more other types of secure informationassociated with the user. The data system 2500 can include one or moredata structures 2504, each related to a user, as represented by ellipses2536. The data structure 2504 can include information that is stored,managed, sent, received, retrieved by the systems described herein. Thedata structure 2504 can include one or more of, but is not limited to:payment information 2508, a personal identification number (PIN) 2512,identifiers 2516, addresses 2520, limits 2524, preferences 2528, and/orrules 2532. There may be more or fewer fields, associated with datastructure 2504, than those shown in FIG. 25, as represented by theellipses 2540.

Payment information 2508 can be any type of credit card, bank account,or other financial information that might be used in a securecommunication payment through or with the vehicle 100. Similarly, thePIN 2512 can be any type of PIN associated with one or more of thefinancial instruments provided in the payment information 2508. ThesePINs may be created by the third-party financial institutions and givento the user. The user may enter the PIN 2512 into the vehicle 100through a user interface, and the vehicle can store the PIN 2512 in datastructure 2504.

The IDs 2516 may be any type of information used with the paymentinformation 2508. Thus, the IDs 2516 can include the name on a creditcard, an alias, or some other information associated with the paymentinformation 2508. The address 2520, similar to the IDs 2516, can be theaddress for the user of the payment information 2508. As such, theaddress 2520 can be the home address, business address, or some othertype of address associated with the user having payment informationstored in field 2508.

Limits 2524, preferences 2528, and rules 2532 can be user-createdfields, may be automatically set, or learned, by machine-learning, basedon repetitive processes of the user while in the vehicle 100. Limits2524 can be any limit on any type of secure communication or securetransaction used with the vehicle 100. These limits 2524 can be indollars, in a number of transactions, or some other type of limit.Limits 2524 can be associated with the vehicle 100 or may be associatedwith two or more vehicles and thus may limit transactions across alltypes of vehicles the user may be associated therewith. Preferences 2528can be any type of financial or behavior preference of the user.Behavior preference 2528 can be a determination of the desires or wantsof a user based on their behavior. For example, if a user buys coffeeevery morning at a certain Starbucks, that coffee-buying event at theStarbucks can be a preference of the user stored in field 2528. Therules 2532 can be any type of information dictated by the user tocontrol secure communications or transactions with the vehicle 100. Forexample, the user may preauthorize certain types of transactions orcommunications with the vehicle 100, or others may not be preauthorized.As such, this preauthorization may be included in the rules field 2532.

Data system 2600 can include one or more types of information regardinga user's behavior or information about the vehicle 100 associated withthe user may be as shown in FIG. 26. Each user may have their own typeof information stored in the data system 2600, as represented byellipses 2628. The information may be stored in the data structure 2604that includes one or more of, but is not limited to: a product servicesfield 2608, a route field 2612, a triggering events field 2616, and/orbattery rules field 2620. There may be more or fewer fields than thoseshown in data structure 2604, as represented by ellipses 2624.

The product services field 2608 can include any type of product orservice bought by the user while operating the vehicle 100. For example,the products or services 2608 can represent such things as foodpurchases, gasoline purchases, car wash purchases, toll purchases,parking purchases, or other types of events that occur with and/or areassociated with the vehicle 100. The lists of products and services 2608may also include a context about when or where things were bought, whattime the user bought them, how often they bought them, and other typesof information. As such, this information of products and/servicepurchases 2608 can be generated and developed into preferences 2528, asexplained previously with FIG. 25.

An embodiment of one or more routes taken by the user may be stored inroute field 2612. These routes 2612 may be the consistent or commonroutes taken by the user and may also include information about whattypes of products or services may be offered along those routes. Thisinformation 2612 can allow the vehicle 100 to present options to theuser or conduct automatic communications or transactions along suchroutes 2612.

Triggering events 2616 may be predetermined events that may causecertain purchases or communications to be conducted automatically by thevehicle 100. For example, a triggering event 2616 of inclement weathermay cause the user to automatically purchase heightened map and weatherdata for the vehicle display. In other events, triggering events 2616may be set once the user enters the vehicle 100 before conducting adrive. For example, a user can establish what communications ortransactions are preauthorized for that drive when the triggering event2616 of starting the vehicle occurs.

Battery rules 2620 can be what type of actions may be allowed forcharging, discharging, changing, or managing the battery charge. Thesebattery rules 2620 can include one or more of, but are not limited to:where batteries may be charged or replaced, where a vehicle 100 isallowed to get a charge without authorization, and other types ofinformation. As such, the battery rules 2620 can manage the financialtransactions conducted and associated with the battery.

An embodiment of a signaling diagram between the vehicle 100 and a user220 may be as shown in FIG. 27. This signaling arrangement shown in FIG.27 may occur when the user enters the vehicle 100 and then begins todrive the vehicle 100. Upon entering the vehicle 100, the user 220 maystart the vehicle 100 or generate an event with the vehicle 100 thatindicates a drive is about to begin.

The vehicle 100 may then request the user's username 2412 and password2416, in signal 2704. The username and password request may be sent to auser interface displayed on a display associated with the vehicle 100.In other configurations, the username 2412 and/or password 2416 may berequested and provided to the vehicle 100 with a user interface eventand an audio or other type of response or gesture, in signal 2708. Theresponse from the user 220 can provide the credentials for the vehicle100 to authenticate the user. In some configurations, the dongle 2008may send a code 2712 to the vehicle 100. As the dongle 2008 isassociated with the user 220, this code 2712 can identify the user tothe vehicle 100. Along with the code 2712, the dongle 2008 may send afunction or a request for an operation, optionally in step 2716. Afunction can be some type of request for the vehicle to perform anoperation such as starting the vehicle 100, opening doors, openingwindows, or doing some other kind of task. This function 2716 can alsobe a request to conduct a secure communication or transaction that maybe authorized only with the dongle 2008. As such, even if the user'svehicle 100 is stolen, without the dongle 2008, financial transactionsmay not be conducted.

Biometrics may also be collected by vehicle 100, in signal 2720. Sensors5437, within the vehicle 100, may obtain biometric information from theuser 220. This biometric information can be a visual recordings of theuser's face, may be a voice recording, may be some other physicalcharacteristics recorded by the sensors 5437 within the vehicle 100.This biometric information can be compared to biometrics information2408. If there is a positive comparison with the biometric information2408 and the user is identified, the vehicle 100 may send an identityverification signal 2724 back to the user 220. The vehicle 100 maypresent some identity verification to the user interface to allow theuser to understand that they have been identified. The user 220 mayrespond by providing an okay signal 2728 back to the vehicle 100. Theokay signal 2728 may be given in a user interface or may be a voice or ahand gesture within the vehicle 100 and recorded by the vehicle sensors5437.

In some configurations, the vehicle 100 may ask for a preauthorizationor a half-token provided by the user, in signal 2732. Here, the vehicle100 may present a user interface or an audio request to the user 220requesting whether the user wishes to authorize certain automaticcommunications or automatic transactions before the drive begins. If theuser does desire such type of automation, the user 220 may send an ackor acknowledge signal 2736 back to the vehicle 100. The ack signal 2736can again be a user interface input, may be a voice command, some typeof gesture or other type of response between the user 220 and thevehicle 100.

The vehicle 100 may then send a second token, e.g., an order, 2740 to auser 220. The order 2740 may be an automated request to a third partyfor some type of product or service. This order 2740 may be presented tothe user interface to allow the user to acknowledge whether the ordershould be made in signal 2744. If acknowledged, the vehicle 100 canconfirm the purchase to the user, in signal 2748, after making theproper purchase, transaction and/or communication with the third party.This confirmed purchase then may be acknowledged by the user 220, insignal 2752.

Another embodiment of a signaling process between a vehicle 100 and asecond party, such as a retailer 2804, may be as shown in FIG. 28. Aninitial signaling 2808 for establishing communications between thevehicle 100 and the second party 2804 may involve nearfieldcommunications, such as through an RFID device, wireless communicationseither through a cellular or 802.11 link. Regardless of the format, thevehicle 100 and the second party 2804 can establish some communicationconnection through signal(s) 2808.

The vehicle 100 may then send a half-token or preauthorization for sometype of good or service or other type of secure communication to thesecond party, in signal 2812. The half-token signal 2812 may includesome secure communication data, but may not be a complete set of datafor the second party to conduct an activity without a second set orportion of information. Thereinafter, the vehicle 100 may send apreorder or other type of secure communication 2816 to the second party2804; the half-token 2812 may authenticate or authorize a transaction,the order may be the next step in identifying what is desired by theuser of the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may then send an identifier2820 for identifying the user and/or vehicle. This information 2820 canbe sent in a long-distance communication without the vehicle/user in thephysical proximity of the second party 2804. As such, the identifyinginformation 2820 can later be used to identify that vehicle/user whenthe vehicle 100 does arrive within physical proximity of the secondparty 2804.

Sometime thereinafter, after vehicle 100 drives to second party 2804 anda second communication establishment may be conducted with signals 2824.The vehicle 100 can establish communications that require physicalproximity, for example, nearfield communications or some other type ofcommunication connection. Thereinafter, the second party 2804 may send arequest to identify or verify the identity of the vehicle 100 and/oruser 220, in signal 2828. This signal 2828 may be a request for moreinformation to complete the token. The vehicle 100 can send anacknowledgement signal 2832 to the second party 2804.

The second party may then send a confirm order signal 2836, which may beacknowledged by the vehicle 100 in signal 2840. The confirm order 2836may cause the vehicle 100 to present information to the user interfacefor the user 220 to confirm the order and/or information previously sentby the vehicle 100. Upon acknowledging the order, the user 220 canauthorize the vehicle 100 to send billing information, in signal 2844.Billing information 2844 may be the second, matching half-token sent tothe second party 2804. Billing information thus may complete theinformation needed by the second party 2804 to conduct or provide theservice or good ordered in signal 2816. The second party 2804 mayacknowledge the billing information in signal 2848.

FIGS. 28 through 41 provide user interfaces that may be presented on thedisplay 5472 within the vehicle 100. These user interfaces may beprovided in a heads-up display, in a display in the head unit, or someother type of display. The user interfaces can include both dynamic andstatic components. The dynamic components can receive user input and beuser-selectable devices. The dynamic components can include tabs at thetop of the user interface 2912, which, when selected, provide fordifferent types of user interfaces. Further, they may include menus,dropdown menus, textboxes, radio buttons, or other types of selectabledevices that provide user input into the vehicle's processing system5608.

FIG. 29 provides a first user interface 2900 to allow the user to enterfinancial information into the vehicle 100 to be securely storedtherein. The display 2904 can include a frame and a display portion 2908to a window or other type of user interface (while a window is generallyuse in a desktop environment, the term “window” here can describe aportion of content displayed together where the content is generallyinterrelated). The window or user interface may be associated with oneof two or more tabs 2912. In FIG. 29, window 2908 can be associated withfinancial information tab 2912 a, which has different visual indicia,for example a shading or different color for tab 2912 a compared to theother tabs 2912 b through 2912 d.

To enter financial information, the user may be provided with anindication 2916 that the user can select a radio button 2920 to enterfinancial information. If selected, the user can then enter informationunder different categories indicated by static information displays. Forexample, the name on the credit card may be presented in indication 2924where the user could enter their name in fields 2928 a and 2928 b. Acredit card number indication 2932 provides for a text box 2936 thatallows the user to enter their credit card number into text box 2936.The billing address field 2940 allows for the user to enter theirstreet, city, state, and ZIP code in fields 2944, 2948, 2952, and 2956,respectively. A security code field 2960 allows the user to enter theirsecurity code (CVV) from the back of their credit card in field 2964, ortheir PIN for the credit card in field 2968. Through the user interface2908, the user can enter all their financial information which then maybe used automatically by the vehicle 100 in secure communications.

Another user interface 3000 is shown in FIG. 30A. This user interfaceembodiment 3000 includes an information box 3004. The box or window 3004includes a banner 3008 indicating that the user can use this interfaceto approve contactless payments or authorize those contactless payments.An icon 3012 indicates that the user interface 3004 provides forinformation or input and requires user attention.

A dropdown menu or selection menu, having banner 3016, allows a user toapprove transactions for different types of events. For example, theuser may, according to the banners 3020, 3028, and 3036, approvetransactions for a particular route, time period, or per transaction byselecting one of the radio buttons 3024, 3032, or 3040, respectively.For any one of the items—for instance, the time period selection 3028,3032—a dropdown menu 3044, with the banner 3044 for time limit, may bepresented. Thus, for the time period selection 3028, the user may havedifferent types of time periods from which to select. For example, theselections 3048, 3056, and 3064 indicate that the user can selectapproval of transactions or payment authorizations for a one-hour timeperiod, a two-hour time period, or for a particular commute, byselecting radio buttons 3052, 3060, 3068, respectively.

Another embodiment of a window user interface 3072 may be as shown inFIG. 30B. Another popup window 3072 for contactless paymentauthorization having icon 3012 may also be presented. Here, the user mayhave a user-selectable device, for example, a button 3076, that allowsthe user to approve all contactless payments rather than enter in theinformation shown in FIG. 30A.

Another user interface 3100 for authorizing a particular transaction maybe as shown in FIG. 31. A window 3104 that provides an alert may beshown in the user interface 2908. The alert 3104 can include aninformation box 3108 that describes some transaction or pre-order. Thispre-order may be for a vendor provided in banner 3112. The pre-orderitems may be listed in section 3116 with a cost or price for the orderin portion 3120. This information may be indicative of a pre-order or anorder made automatically by the vehicle 100. The user may then approvethis preauthorization or pre-order by selecting a user-selectabledevice, for example, the button 3124.

Another embodiment of a user interface 3200 that provides for placingads within the user interface 2908 of the vehicle 100 may be as shown inFIG. 32. In this configuration, a popup window 3204 containing anadvertisement 3208 may be shown in the user interface 2908. Thisadvertisement 3208 may be associated with a specific product commonlyused by the user or may be a product available on the route currentlybeing taken. The user may pre-order that item by selectinguser-selectable device 3212 to order the product or service provided inthe advertisement 3208.

Another approval or authorization user interface 3300 to conduct atransaction u may be shown in FIG. 33. The user interface 2908 includesanother window 3304 to conduct an order. A typical or usual order may belisted in section 3308. For example, the current order is for a coffeefrom a particular vendor. This order may be a preference gleaned fromthe preferences information 2528. By presenting this order and selectinguser-selectable device 3312 through user input, the user can authorizethe vehicle 100 to automatically purchase such item.

Further authorization information that may be used for conductingtransactions through the vehicle 100 may be as shown in FIG. 34. Theuser interface 3300 can include another window 3304 in interface 2908.The user interface window 3304 can include further information requiredby a user to complete a transaction. In this case, PIN information thatmay be the same or similar to PIN 2512 may be provided by the user. Thefield 3308 allows the user to enter the PIN through input through akeyboard presented on the user interface or through a phone or otherdevice. This PIN 2512 may then be used to present the second half-tokento the vendor for completing a transaction. It may also be possible forthe user to select some other type of identifier by selecting userinterface device 3312. Other identifiers can include such things as abiometric identifier, username and password, or some other type ofidentifier explained previously.

Another user interface 3500 for approving an order that was alreadypreordered may be as shown in FIG. 35. Here, user interface 2908includes the window 3504 for allowing approval of payment. The window3504 includes a box 3508 that provides the information about the orderthat is to be completed. This box 3508 may include a banner 3112 and aportion 3116 for including the items ordered and a portion 3120including the cost or price of the order. This order may be finallyapproved by the user by selecting the user interface device 3512 throughtouch input or some other type of input.

Another user interface 3600 for approving transactions for a particulartype of event may be as shown in FIG. 36A. A window 3604 may bepresented in user interface 2908. The window 3604 can include a dropdownmenu 3608 with user-selectable device 3616 to select the type of eventfor which to approve transactions. The banner 3612 can list what type ofapproval is being given. Selecting the user-selectable device 3616 cancause a dropdown menu to provide further granularity in the selection.For example, a time limit may be selected by selecting radio buttons3620, 3624, and/or radio button 3628. As such, the user can provide forauthorization of secure communications and payments for a particulartime period using user interface 3604.

Another embodiment of a user interface 3632 that includes a popupinformation box 3636 may be as shown in FIG. 36B. Here, the user mayhave already-completed or automatic orders completed. Box 3636 providethe user information about how much time is left for transactionapproval in countdown clock 3640. This clock 3640 counts down from somecertain amount of time (e.g., five (5) minutes) until the pre-order iscanceled, and the transaction is left unapproved.

A user interface 3700 for allowing a user to approve transactions orcommunications along a particular route may be as shown in FIG. 37.Here, the user interface 2908 may include a window 3704 that isassociated with a map 3708. This map 3708 may include a projected route3712. The window 3704 may also include a popup box 3716 with banner 3720that indicates that by selecting button 3724, the user can approve anytransaction along the route 3712. In this way, the user is allowed tocomplete secure communications or transactions along route 3712 throughthe vehicle 100 without requiring further user input during this travel.

Another user interface 3800 similar to user interface 3704 shown in FIG.37 is provided in FIG. 38. Here, further information is provided aboutthe route 3712, such as weather data 3804. A user may preapprove forenhanced navigation or enhanced data. This approval allows the userinterface 3704 to provide weather information 3804 or other types ofdata for which the user must pay. Thus, if inclement weather isimminent, the vehicle 100 may make an automatic transaction to providethis further information and pay for that information. These types oftransactions may be pre-authorized by the user.

An embodiment of a user interface 3900 for receiving and/or providingfinancial information about a passenger in the vehicle 100 may be asshown in FIG. 39. The fields 2916-2968 are the same or similar to thosefields 2916 through 2968 as shown in FIG. 29. As such, these fields2916-2968 will not be explained further except that the fields 2916-2968are used to enter information for a passenger rather than a driver, asrepresented by tab 2912 b having different visual indicia than tabs 2912a, 2912 c, or 2912 d.

Two additional fields 3972, 3976, in user interface 3900, allow thepassenger to enter their mobile device information. This mobile deviceinformation 3972 and 3976 allows the vehicle 100 to identify the userand communicate the passenger's financial information when beingidentified within the vehicle 100. Also, having the mobile deviceinformation 3972, 3976 allows the vehicle 100 to conduct transactionsthrough the mobile device rather than through the vehicle 100, ifdesired.

Another user interface 4000, within display 2908, related to userpreferences, as represented by different visual indicia on tab 2912 c,may be as shown in FIG. 40. User preferences may include a window 4004that includes various fields 4008 through 4052 for specifying differentpreferences for how secure communications or financial transactions maybe conducted by the user. Each field 4008, 4016, 4024, 4032, 4040, and4048 may have an associated radio button 4012, 4020, 4028, 4036, 4044,and 4052 to receive user input that indicates preferences for securecommunications.

The fields 4008-4052 may include selections for automatic payments(allows the vehicle 100 conduct payments without user input),pre-authorizations (requires the vehicle 100 to get authorization fororders), approve payment (requires the vehicle 100 to get approval forpayments), use of PIN (requires the vehicle 100 to obtain a PIN forpayments), store usual orders (requires the vehicle 100 to store commonor recurring orders), allow passenger payment (allows a passenger toassociated payment information with the vehicle 100 and make payments).Any one of these preferences may be provided or selected by selectingradio buttons 4012, 4020, 4028, 4036, 4044, and 4052.

An embodiment of a user interface 4100 associated with eventpreferences, as represented by tab 2912 d having different visualindicia, may be as shown in FIG. 41. Window 4104 may be provided thatprovides for the vehicle 100 to conduct particular procedures ifcertain, future events occur. These events may include weather alerts4108, emergency battery alerts 4116, police action alerts 4124, orenable internet orders 4132. Any of these different selections 4108,4116, 4124 may be completed by selecting one or more of the radiobuttons 4112, 4120, 4128, 4136. Weather alerts 4108 allow the user toautomatically purchase further information about weather if necessary.Emergency battery events 4116 can allow for purchasing or pre-purchasingbattery charging if necessary. Police action event 4124 can allow forcommunications of routes or information on the route display when thereis a police action. Finally, internet orders 4132 may allow the vehicle100 to purchase services or goods through the Internet if radio button3146 is selected.

An embodiment of a method 4200 for receiving and storing user secureinformation may be as shown in FIG. 42. Generally, the method 4200starts with a start operation 4204 and ends with operation 4240. Themethod 4200 can include more or fewer steps or can arrange the order ofthe steps differently than those shown in FIG. 42. The method 4200 canbe executed as a set of computer-executable instructions executed by acomputer system or processor and encoded or stored on a computerreadable medium. In other configurations, the method 4200 may beexecuted by a series of components, circuits, gates, etc. created in ahardware device, such as a System of Chip (SOC), Application SpecificIntegrated Circuit (ASIC), and/r a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).Hereinafter, the method 4200 shall be explained with reference to thesystems, components, circuits, modules, software, data structures,signaling processes, models, environments, vehicles, etc. described inconjunction with FIGS. 1-41 and 54A-56.

A processor or CPU 5608 can receive an event, in step 4208. The eventcan be the starting of the vehicle 100, a connection made by a user withthe dongle 2008, or another event. This event can cause the CPU 5608 topresent a user interface 2900 on a display 5616.

In step 4212, the CPU 5608 renders the user interface 2900 fordisplaying on the output device 5616. The output device 5616 can includethe screen 2904 provided in the head unit, a heads-up display, or someother type of display within the vehicle 100. From the user interface2900, the CPU 5608 can receive input into the user interface 2908, instep 4216. The input can be the entry or determination of whether or notthe user desires to enter financial information to be associated withthe vehicle 100.

In step 4220, the CPU 5608 determines whether the user desires to entersecure information. For example, the user may select radio button 2920to alert the CPU 5608 that the user desires to enter secure information.If secure information is desired to be entered, the method 4200 proceeds“YES” to step 4224. However, if no information is desired to be entered,method 4200 proceeds “NO” to step 4240.

In step 4224, the CPU 5608 receives secure input through the userinterface 2900. Here, the user may enter information about theirfinances or financial information in fields 2924 through 2968. Thisinformation may be provided to the CPU 5608, or the information may thenbe buffered in memory 5636. In step 4228, the CPU 5608 can encrypt theinformation and store it within memory 5636. The encryption key may besome secret shared between the user and the vehicle 100. This encryptioninformation may be provided in another user interface, through voiceinput, or through some other input. Further, there may be other types ofencryption keys that may be associated with biometrics or otherinformation.

In step 4232, the CPU 5608 stores the encrypted information in securestorage within the vehicle 100. Secure storage can be a separate securearea of storage 5636. In some configurations, this secure storage may beaccessed differently and may be physically separated from working memory5636. In other configurations, the secure storage may be a separate partof the working memory 5636 that may be accessed with differentprotocols. Upon storing this information, the CPU 5608 associates theuser of the vehicle 100 with the encrypted information, in step 4236.Here, the user's biometrics 2408, username 2412, password 2416 etc. maybe stored with data structure 2504 or other information to associate theuser with the information.

A method 4300 for encrypting the sensitive information, as described inconjunction with FIG. 42, may be as shown in FIG. 43. The method 4300can be conducted by the CPU 5608 for encrypting the sensitiveinformation in the memory 5636 of the vehicle 100. Generally, the method4300 starts with a start operation 4304 and ends with operation 4324.The method 4300 can include more or fewer steps or can arrange the orderof the steps differently than those shown in FIG. 43. The method 4300can be executed as a set of computer-executable instructions executed bya computer system or processor and encoded or stored on a computerreadable medium. In other configurations, the method 4300 may beexecuted by a series of components, circuits, gates, etc. created in ahardware device, such as a System of Chip (SOC), Application SpecificIntegrated Circuit (ASIC), and/r a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).Hereinafter, the method 4300 shall be explained with reference to thesystems, components, circuits, modules, software, data structures,signaling processes, models, environments, vehicles, etc. described inconjunction with FIGS. 1-42 and 54A-56.

In step 4308, the CPU 5608 can receive sensitive information, asdescribed in conjunction with FIG. 42. In step 4312, the CPU 5608 candetermine an encryption key based on the user and/or vehicleinformation. As such, the CPU 5608 can associate the VIN 2436, the ESN2440, the engine code 2444, or other information associated with thevehicle 100 with the user and the user information, for example,biometrics 2408, username 2412, password 2416, mobile device information2420, dongle code 2424, etc. This user and vehicle information may beassociated together to create the encryption key.

In step 4316, the CPU 5608 can encrypt the sensitive informationreceived in step 4308 with the key. This key would be associated withboth the vehicle and the user and may not be accessed without thepresence of the user within the vehicle 100 or if the user is notassociated with the vehicle 100. As such, if the vehicle 100 is stolen,the information cannot be accessed. Further, another user cannot enterthe vehicle 100 and use the information, and the user may not use someother vehicle for secure communications with the information. Theencrypted information may then be stored in working memory 5636 or instorage 5620, 5624, in step 4320. As such, the CPU 5608 can permanentlystore the information in secure storage as encrypted information thatbecomes difficult to use except when the user is associated with thevehicle 100.

Thus, operator or owner financial information and user biometric datacan be stored in an encrypted memory 5624, 5636 on the vehicle 100, suchas in encrypted RAM or other storage medium. If RAM were to beencrypted, it must be decrypted automatically for usage by the CPU 5608.In some configurations, the CPU 5608 does not operate on the RAMdirectly. The CPU 5608 loads code and data from the RAM into the CPU'sinternal caches. The loading/unloading process is transparent for boththe applications 5644 and the operating system 5640.

An automatic RAM encryption system can be embodied in hardware, forexample, in the CPU 5608. If encryption were to be done in the RAM, anattacker may be able to freeze the RAM and then plug the RAM into adifferent machine to extract the information. In a similar manner,decryption in an external RAM controller may not prevent active attacks.The automatic RAM encryption system could also defeat a cold boot attackor a platform reset attack in which an attacker, with physical access toa computer, is able to retrieve encryption keys from a running operatingsystem after using a cold reboot to restart the machine. This type ofattack relies on the data remanence property of DRAM and SRAM toretrieve memory contents that remain readable in the seconds to minutesafter power has been removed.

In additional or alternative configurations, disk encryption techniquescan also be employed. When a user first powers on the vehicle and beforethe operating system 5640 can boot up, the user must unlock his or herdisk by supplying the correct encryption key. The files that make up theoperating system are on the encrypted disk, so there is no way for thecomputer 5608 to work with the operating system 5640 until the disk isunlocked.

In some configurations, inputting a security credential, like apassphrase or biometric identifier, does not unlock the whole disk butunlocks an encryption key, which in turn unlocks everything on the disk.This indirection allows a user to change his or her passphrase (if apassphrase is used) without having to re-encrypt the disk with a new keyand also makes it possible to have multiple passphrases, other securitycredentials, or combinations thereof that can unlock the disk, forexample, if the operator or owner were to add another user account tothe on board computer.

Other configurations may defeat a cold boot attack; encryption softwareperiodically flushes the encryption key every few minutes when not inuse. The user would be required to re-authenticate himself or herself tothe on board computer system 5608, after expiration of a selected periodof time. A user-friendly transparent proximity solution can exist wherethe vehicle remote keyless system (the dongle 2008) acts as a type ofwireless device to transmit a unique code or signal that can cause thecontroller 5608 to securely access the encryption key whenever needed orotherwise cause the encryption key to be refreshed periodically.

As will be appreciated, keyless remotes 2008 contain a short-range radiotransmitter, and must be within a certain range, usually 5-20 meters, ofthe vehicle 100 to work. It sends a coded signal by radio waves to areceiver unit in the vehicle 100, which performs a selected function,such as locking or unlocking the door. Alternatively, the secure key canbe derived from the coded signal itself by a known key generationalgorithm (e.g., in which the seed is the coded signal or the codedsignal along with another identifier, for example, a biometric indicatorof a user or all or part of the VIN 2436 of the associated vehicle 100.

An embodiment of a method 4400 for a driver and/or passenger to entersecure information into the vehicle 100 may be as shown in FIG. 44.Generally, the method 4400 starts with a start operation 4404 and endswith operation 4440. The method 4400 can include more or fewer steps orcan arrange the order of the steps differently than those shown in FIG.44. The method 4400 can be executed as a set of computer-executableinstructions executed by a computer system or processor and encoded orstored on a computer readable medium. In other configurations, themethod 4400 may be executed by a series of components, circuits, gates,etc. created in a hardware device, such as a System of Chip (SOC),Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and/r a FieldProgrammable Gate Array (FPGA). Hereinafter, the method 4400 shall beexplained with reference to the systems, components, circuits, modules,software, data structures, signaling processes, models, environments,vehicles, etc. described in conjunction with FIGS. 1-43 and 54A-56.

In steps 4408, 4424, the vehicle 100 can sense the presence of a driveror passenger, respectively. The internal sensors 5437 may sense thepresence of a person within the vehicle 100. This person may be a driveror a passenger. The information gleaned from the sensors within thevehicle 100 may then be provided to the CPU 5608. In steps 4412, 4428,the CPU 5608 can receive the biometric information associated with thedriver/passenger. This information may then be used to determine whetheror not the passenger or driver is previously associated with the vehicle100. The biometric information may be as stored in data structure 2404in field 2408.

With the biometric information, the CPU 5608 can compare the receivedinformation with the information in field 2408 to determine if thedriver or passenger is authenticated, in steps 4416, 4432. If thereceived biometric information from internal sensors 5437 is the same orsimilar to stored biometric information 2408, the driver/passenger isauthenticated. As such, the CPU 5608 can determine if thedriver/passenger is authenticated in steps 4420 or 4436. If theinformation does compare, then the driver/passenger is authenticated andthe method 4400 proceeds “YES” to step 4448. However, if the driver orpassenger is not authenticated, the method 4400 proceeds “NO” to step4440, where the CPU 5608 determines if other information is available.

Other information may include a username 2412, a password 2416, mobiledevice information 2420, etc. that may be used to authenticate the user.If there is other information, the CPU 5608 can gather or obtain thatinformation, in step 4444. Thus, the CPU 5608 may request the usernameor password from the user, connect or couple with the mobile device orthe dongle, or may conduct other operations to gain that information. Ifthe other information is valid and compares to the information stored indata structure 2404, the user may be authenticated again. However, if noother information is available, the operation may end without the userbeing authenticated or allowed to do secure communications. If the userfinally is authenticated, then in step 4448, the vehicle processor 5608can allow secure interactions between the vehicle 100 and third parties.

Based on a driver's preferences (e.g., user goes to Starbucks everymorning, etc.), the onboard computer automatically pre-authorizes atransaction at a particular time and/or in response to a particulardetected location of the vehicle 100. This pre-authorization can be doneby observation and based on historic user behavior or spatial proximityof the vehicle 100 to the vendor (e.g., range of a transceiver on thevehicle 100 to a transceiver at the vendor or GPS-based locations of thevehicle 100 and vendor).

In this example, the vehicle 100 can gate release information to avoidunintended purchases. This gate-release of information can be done by aninteractive user interface (UI) on the vehicle 100. Presumably, thevehicle 100 may identify a potential purchase by the driver, such as byreceiving and pre-filtering purchase options before presenting, to theoperator, the option. Otherwise, the operator could be swamped byoptions while he or she is driving through an area loaded with retailstores. The trigger could be based on prior driver behavior, proximityof the vehicle 100 to a vendor, a state of the vehicle 100 (e.g.,stopped, in motion, velocity of vehicle 100, etc.), and the like. Theremay also be operator authentication prior to the function ofpre-purchase being activated. This approval can prevent a thief orfamily member from using the function without authorization.

In some configurations, the vehicle 100 may anticipate payments to bemade, or opportunities to pay, based on a number of factors associatedwith the vehicle 100 or vehicle state, such as speed, turn signalactivation, road or lane change, and the like. In response to detectingone or more of these factors, the vehicle 100 may present the user witha context-sensitive prompt designed to provide an advanced authorizationfor payment for a good or service. This advanced authorization forpayment can save authentication time, processing time, and/or waitingtime associated with payment stations, providing a quick transactionalexchange.

By way of example, a user may be approaching a gas station and adrive-through coffee shop in a vehicle 100. Upon reducing speed,directing, and/or positioning the vehicle 100 into proximity with thecoffee shop, the vehicle 100 may prompt the user for advancedauthorization for the coffee shop (e.g., rather than the gas station orany other service). The user may accept the advanced authorization(e.g., for an open-amount, particular amount, etc.). Additionally oralternatively, the vehicle 100 may prompt the user for authorization fora particular drink and/or group of drinks, food, etc. The user mayaccept a “usual” order (e.g., based on historical data, preferences,and/or voice command), and as the user drives up to the “ordering”window/kiosk, the user may be directed to the “pickup” window where thedrink and/or food is waiting for the user and has already been paid forby the vehicle authorization made.

In some configurations, payments made by a vehicle 100 may beconditionally authorized ahead of a transaction time for a limitedperiod of time. This pre-transaction authorization may be restrictedand/or only active for a particular time surrounding a determinedmovement of the vehicle 100. In one example, a user may enter adestination into a driving-navigation program (e.g., GPS navigationsystem associated with the vehicle 100, etc.). The vehicle 100 maydetermine a particular path of travel for the vehicle 100 and determinethat specific routes require payment (e.g., toll roads, parking garages,congestion tax fees, etc.) or requires charging to be performed. Inresponse to determining that the specific routes require some type ofpayment, the vehicle 100 may determine to authorize the predictedpayments required on the specific routes. This authorization may bevalid only for a limited time, while the vehicle 100 is traveling alongthe route, and/or as long as the vehicle 100 has power, etc. Forinstance, if the user deviates from the path, the pre-transactionauthorization is revoked, preventing any accidental or unintendedpayments.

A driver may generally associate their payment information with avehicle 100. Yet, sometimes, the vehicle 100 may transport multipleparties, for example, in a car pool. If a person other than the driverdesires to pay for a good or service, the person may not be able toutilize the vehicle's payment system. Thus, the vehicle 100 may becapable of adding multiple buyers/payers to the payment system byassociating those other people with the vehicle 100.

A passenger may enter the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 may sense thepresence of the passenger by receiving a phone signal, by receivingsensor data from sensors associated with the passenger (e.g., activationof the airbag, heat, weight, etc.), etc. A user interface presented onthe head unit or in a screen of the entertainment system may be promptthe passenger with the option to associate financial information withthe vehicle 100. If the passenger participates, the passenger canutilize the payment system. Further, the vehicle 100 may use thatperson's cell or phone for transactions when the passenger is paying.Any stored data may be erased when the passenger leaves the vehicle 100,which prevents reuse of the payment information. Or, in the alternative,the payment information may be dormant until the user is identified inthe vehicle 100 again or their mobile device enters the vehicle 100again. In some situations, the passenger and driver can use the vehiclepayment system to split payments, for example, for battery charging,food, hotel, etc.

An embodiment of a method 4500 for allowing contactless securecommunications may be as shown in FIG. 45. Generally, the method 4500starts with a start operation 4504 and ends with operation 4532. Themethod 4500 can include more or fewer steps or can arrange the order ofthe steps differently than those shown in FIG. 45. The method 4500 canbe executed as a set of computer-executable instructions executed by acomputer system or processor and encoded or stored on a computerreadable medium. In other configurations, the method 4500 may beexecuted by a series of components, circuits, gates, etc. created in ahardware device, such as a System of Chip (SOC), Application SpecificIntegrated Circuit (ASIC), and/r a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).Hereinafter, the method 4500 shall be explained with reference to thesystems, components, circuits, modules, software, data structures,signaling processes, models, environments, vehicles, etc. described inconjunction with FIGS. 1-44 and 54A-56.

The CPU 5608 can receive information from internal sensors 5437 thatindicate the presence of a user within the vehicle, in step 4508. Asdescribed in conjunction with FIG. 44, the internal sensors 5437 cansend information to the CPU 5608 indicating that a person is within thevehicle 100. In step 4512, the CPU 5608 can identify the person bycomparing the biometric information received from the internal sensors5437 with biometric information 2408 in data structure 2404. In otherconfigurations, the user may be identified by the dongle 2008, mobiledevice, the username 2412 and password 2416, or some other information.

Based on the identity of the person, the CPU 5608 can retrieve a profilefor the person, in step 4516. The profile may include data structure2504 or data structure 2604, as described in conjunction with FIGS. 25and 26. The profile of the person may include preferences 2528 or rules2532. The CPU 5608 can determine if a user authorizes contactlesscommunications, in step 4520. Here, the CPU 5608 may check thepreferences 2528 or rules 2532 to determine if the user has authorizedcontactless communications. In other situations, a user interface may beprovided to the user to allow for contactless communications, such aswindow 3004, window 3012, etc. If the user does desire to allowcontactless communications with the vehicle 100 and a third party, themethod 4500 proceeds “YES” to step 4524. If the user does not desirecontactless communication, the method 4500 proceeds “NO” to step 4532.

In step 4524, the vehicle 100 may enter a geographic location. Thegeographic location can be a route commonly taken by a user of thevehicle 100. This geographical location or route may be as described inconjunction with FIG. 37. Upon entering this location, the CPU 5608 cansend contactless communications automatically, in step 4528. Forexample, the vehicle 100 can use preferences 2528, rules 2532, or otherinformation in data structure 2604 to send automated purchases or othertypes of secure communications while in the geographic location.

An embodiment of a method 4600 for a vehicle to make securecommunications may be as shown in FIG. 46. Generally, the method 4600starts with a start operation 4604 and ends with operation 4628. Themethod 4600 can include more or fewer steps or can arrange the order ofthe steps differently than those shown in FIG. 46. The method 4600 canbe executed as a set of computer-executable instructions executed by acomputer system or processor and encoded or stored on a computerreadable medium. In other configurations, the method 4600 may beexecuted by a series of components, circuits, gates, etc. created in ahardware device, such as a System of Chip (SOC), Application SpecificIntegrated Circuit (ASIC), and/r a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).Hereinafter, the method 4600 shall be explained with reference to thesystems, components, circuits, modules, software, data structures,signaling processes, models, environments, vehicles, etc. described inconjunction with FIGS. 1-45 and 54A-56.

A vehicle 100 may enter a location, in step 4608. For example, thevehicle 100 can enter a drive-through, a toll lane, or some other typeof location. The vehicle 100 may then determine if a radio frequency(RF) field is detected at one of the two or more RF devices 2004, asdescribed in conjunction with FIG. 20, in step 4612. The CPU 5608 may beprovided signals from the RF devices 2004 to determine if an RF field isdetected. In step 4616, the CPU 5608 can determine which of the RFdevices 2004 has the best connection or the highest field strength. Forexample, if the user is at a gas station and device 2004 b is nearest,to a gas pump with an RF transceiver, device 2004 b may have the bestconnection, as the field strength there may be higher than at device2004 c or 2004 a. If device 2004 b has the best connection, then thatdevice 2004 b may couple with the RF transceiver at the third party.

The CPU 5608 can then determine if the user authorizes contactlesscommunication, in step 4620. As such, the CPU 5608 can accesspreferences 2528, rules 2532, or other information in data structure(s)2504, 2604, etc. to determine if contactless communications are allowed.Further, the user interface 3072 or 3004 may be presented to the userand a determination made if the user provides an authorization ofcontactless communications. If contactless communications are notauthorized, the method 4600 proceeds “NO” to step 4628. However, ifcontactless communications are authorized, method 4600 proceeds “YES” tostep 4624. In step 4624, the CPU 5608 can automatically send contactlesscommunications through the RF device 2004 to the third party. Thesecommunications can include financial information or other secureinformation from the vehicle 100. As such, the vehicle 100 can be anextension of the user in delivering information to a third party.

The method 4600 provides for devices at different location that allowfor information exchange using various communication standards (e.g.,near field communications (NFC), BLUETOOTH™ Low Energy (BLE), radiofrequency identification (RFID). The devices can be mounted orincorporated into the vehicle 100 in various locations, e.g., a wingmirror, a windshield, a roof, etc. A vehicle 100 may have acommunication device, e.g., an NFC or RFID device, installed in such away that the device 2004 may communicate with external devices toconduct transactions including contactless payments.

The devices 2004 may be passive or active. For example, thecommunication device 2004 may be installed on or near the outer surfaceof the vehicle 100. The device 2004 may be placed in many areas of thevehicle 100 to communicate with external devices in a number ofsituations. A driver side device 2004 c may be used to communicate andconduct contactless payment transactions in drive-thru situations. Anoverhead or under-carriage device 2004 a may be utilized in situationssuch as toll-lanes or parking garages to similarly conduct paymenttransactions while the vehicle 100 may be moving. A communication device2004 c may be placed on or near the gas tank such that the device 2004 cmay conduct a payment transaction with a gas tank nozzle or gas pump.The device 2004 may be in communication with an onboard computer 5608placed inside the vehicle 100. The device 2004 may be used to store andshare any amount of information.

An embodiment of a method 4700 for conducting secure communications withthe third party may be as shown in FIG. 47. Generally, the method 4700starts with a start operation 4704 and ends with operation 4728. Themethod 4700 can include more or fewer steps or can arrange the order ofthe steps differently than those shown in FIG. 47. The method 4700 canbe executed as a set of computer-executable instructions executed by acomputer system or processor and encoded or stored on a computerreadable medium. In other configurations, the method 4700 may beexecuted by a series of components, circuits, gates, etc. created in ahardware device, such as a System of Chip (SOC), Application SpecificIntegrated Circuit (ASIC), and/r a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).Hereinafter, the method 4700 shall be explained with reference to thesystems, components, circuits, modules, software, data structures,signaling processes, models, environments, vehicles, etc. described inconjunction with FIGS. 1-46 and 54A-56.

The vehicle 100 begins secure communications with another party, in step4708. Here, the processor 5608 may communicate through thecommunications system 1900 to another entity. The communication may be aremote communication used through a wireless or cellular system. Inother embodiments, it may be a nearfield communication. The third partymay send a request for authorization for some type of communication. Insuch a case, the vehicle 100 receives a requirement for authorization bythe user, in step 4712. In other situations, an internal rule 2532 orsome other event may cause the processor 5608 to require authorizationby the user.

In step 4716, the processor 5608 may display a user interface (e.g.,user interface 2904) to provide authorization to the vehicle 100. Thisuser interface may be user interface 3000 shown in FIG. 30A, window 3072in FIG. 30B, or some other window as described herein. The processor5608 can then determine if the user authorizes the contactlesscommunication, in step 4720. For example, if the user provides inputinto button 3076, then the processor 5608 can determine that contactlesscommunication is authorized. If such authorization is given, the method4700 proceeds “YES” to step 4724. However, if no authorization is given,method 4700 proceeds “NO” to end operation 4728.

In step 4724, the processor 5608 can create an authorization based onthe authorization given by the user and send such authorization throughthe communications system 1900 to the other entity. As such, theprocessor 5608 can provide authorizations for secure communications orother events, such as financial transactions, through a display and/oruser interfaces on the vehicle 100 rather than through a mobile deviceor a device (e.g., a credit card terminal) associated with the otherparty.

User interfaces for authorization of transaction may be provided in ahead unit or other display (e.g., dash, heads-up display (HUD), etc.).An in-vehicle display and input device may be provided to conductcontactless payment transactions with external devices. When an externaldevice initiates a payment transaction with a communication device ofthe vehicle 100, a user inside the vehicle 100 may be presented with ameans for authorizing the payment, for example, a user interface thataccepts a PIN entry, a signature, fingerprint ID, retina scanner, etc.or another interface that provides a different type of authorization(e.g., voice authorization, gesture authorization, etc.). The means forauthorization may be dependent on the amount or type of transactioninvolved. Authorization may take place prior to, during, or followingthe transaction. For example, in the case of toll-lanes, the payment maybe authorized following the use of the toll-lane. For drive-thrurestaurant transactions, the authorization may take place prior to thesale. For the authorization of the sale of gas, the authorization maytake place immediately following the pumping of the gas and prior tosale.

In some embodiments, payments made by a vehicle 100 may be authorizedahead of a transaction time and/or for a limited period of time. Thispre-transaction authorization may be restricted and/or only active for aparticular time surrounding a determined movement of the vehicle 100. Inone example, a user may enter a destination into a driving-navigationprogram 5402 (e.g., GPS navigation system associated with the vehicle,etc.). The vehicle 100 may determine a particular path of travel for thevehicle 100 and determine that specific routes require payment (e.g.,toll roads, parking garages, congestion tax fees, etc.). In response todetermining that the specific routes require some type of payment, thevehicle 100 may determine to authorize the predicted payments requiredon the specific routes. This authorization may be valid only for alimited time, while the vehicle 100 is traveling along the route, and/oras long as the vehicle 100 has power, etc. For instance, if the userdeviates from the path, the pre-transaction authorization is revoked,preventing any accidental or unintended payments.

Payment may be later authorized based on vehicle identification andlater acceptance. When a vehicle 100 conducts a payment transaction, thetransaction may be authorized based on a unique identifier associatedwith the vehicle 100 and/or geolocation information associated with thevehicle 100 and/or the driver. During the initial part of thetransaction, the vehicle's contactless payment system may deliver thepayment information and information regarding the vehicle 100 and/ordriver of the vehicle 100 (e.g., a half token). This information may becollected in other ways by the external payment device to support theauthorization. For example, the external device may photograph thevehicle 100, license plate, and/or driver. This information may be usedto support the authorization for the transaction. Such pre-transactionauthorization may be useful in situations requiring the driver tomanually enter an authorization, such as by PIN code, signature, etc.,which may be inconvenient or impossible when driving. For example, thesystem may be used for payments made while the vehicle 100 is in motion,e.g., for paying while entering/exiting parking garages and/or forpaying for toll-lanes.

In some embodiments, the vehicle 100 may anticipate payments to be made,or opportunities to pay, based on a number of factors associated withthe vehicle 100. These factors can include location, speed, proximity toa location, preference data, and/or historical information. In responseto detecting one or more of these factors, the vehicle 100 may presentthe user with a context-sensitive prompt designed to provide an advancedauthorization for payment for a good or service. This advancedauthorization for payment can save authentication time, processing time,and/or waiting time associated with payment stations, providing a quicktransactional exchange.

By way of example, a user may be approaching a gas station and adrive-through coffee shop in a vehicle 100, upon reducing speed and/orpositioning the vehicle 100 into proximity with the coffee shop, thevehicle 100 may prompt the user for advanced authorization for thecoffee shop (e.g., rather than the gas station, or any other service).The user may accept the advanced authorization (e.g., for anopen-amount, particular amount, etc.). Additionally or alternatively,the vehicle 100 may prompt the user for authorization for a particulardrink and/or group of drinks, food, etc. The user may accept a “usual”order (e.g., based on historical data, preferences, and/or voicecommand), and as the user drives up to the “ordering” window/kiosk, theuser may be directed to the “pickup” window where the drink and/or foodis waiting for the user and has already been paid for by the vehicleauthorization made in advance.

Multiple communications for authorization, based on geolocation,proximity, etc. may be prompted by a user interface, for example “Areyou going to buy a burger?”, “Are you filling up for gas?”, and so on.The user interface may be set for certain speeds of vehicle, based onpreferences, etc. An initial step is the communications could be the“advertisement” (e.g., “Would you like a Starbucks?”). Thisadvertisement could appear in the display of the vehicle 100. If theanswer is “Yes”, a second step of authenticating thevehicle/driver/passenger(s) to Starbucks could occur to allow thetransaction to proceed. Otherwise, the question could time out.

An embodiment of a method 4800 for sending secure information orcompleting a communication through a deployable antenna 2208 may be asshown in FIG. 48. Generally, the method 4800 starts with a startoperation 4804 and ends with operation 4828. The method 4800 can includemore or fewer steps or can arrange the order of the steps differentlythan those shown in FIG. 48. The method 4800 can be executed as a set ofcomputer-executable instructions executed by a computer system orprocessor and encoded or stored on a computer readable medium. In otherconfigurations, the method 4800 may be executed by a series ofcomponents, circuits, gates, etc. created in a hardware device, such asa System of Chip (SOC), Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC),and/r a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). Hereinafter, the method4800 shall be explained with reference to the systems, components,circuits, modules, software, data structures, signaling processes,models, environments, vehicles, etc. described in conjunction with FIGS.1-47 and 54A-56.

The vehicle 100 may enter a location, in step 4808. Here, the vehicle100 may maneuver within physical proximity of a third-party location.The third-party location may have a receiving pad 2212. In step 4812,the processor 5608 may receive an instruction to deploy antenna 2208 totouch the pad 2212. In response, the processor 5608 may operate thedeploying device 2204 to deploy the antenna 2208 to physically contactthe pad 2212.

Upon making an electrical connection through the contact surface(s), theCPU 5608 can establish a communication/electrical connection through thedeployable antenna 2208, in step 4816. For example, authentication orauthorization information may be exchanged between the vehicle 100 andthe third party through antenna 2208. At this point, the CPU 5608 mayprovide a user interface, such as user interface 3000 or user interface3012, to determine if the user authorizes the communication, in step4820. If the user provides input that communications are authorized, themethod 4800 proceeds “YES” to step 4824, where the processor 5608automatically sends the communication or financial information. If noauthorization is given, the method proceeds “NO” to end operation 4828.

The soft contact reader for payment, similar to the close proximity(e.g., NFC, close range, etc.) readers 2004 can be deployed in differentlocations for different functions (e.g., side of vehicle for coffee orfood at drive through; top of vehicle for tolls, parking, etc., or otherlocations). Most forms of contactless payment utilize NFC protocolantennae. Such communication devices require very near proximity totransfer information. To utilize this technology with the vehicle 100,when conducting contactless payment transactions with external devices,a specially designed scanner device is needed. An NFC antennae devicemay be installed in a type of “brush” or “arm” wherein the externaldevice 2208 may come in contact with the NFC antennae of the vehiclewithout damaging the vehicle 100 in any way. For example, whenconducting a contactless payment transaction while driving into or outof a parking garage, a vehicle 100 may drive over a brush or armequipped with an NFC reading device. This reading device may come incontact with an NFC antennae placed on the undercarriage of the vehicle.In other situations, for example a drive-thru restaurant, the vehicle100 may drive alongside an NFC reader equipped brush or arm, wherein theNFC reader is enabled to accept payment information from an NFC antennaedevice placed on the driver side of the vehicle 100.

An embodiment of sending authentication information in a method 4900 maybe as shown in FIG. 49. Generally, the method 4900 starts with a startoperation 4904 and ends with operation 4932. The method 4900 can includemore or fewer steps or can arrange the order of the steps differentlythan those shown in FIG. 49. The method 4900 can be executed as a set ofcomputer-executable instructions executed by a computer system orprocessor and encoded or stored on a computer readable medium. In otherconfigurations, the method 4900 may be executed by a series ofcomponents, circuits, gates, etc. created in a hardware device, such asa System of Chip (SOC), Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC),and/r a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). Hereinafter, the method4900 shall be explained with reference to the systems, components,circuits, modules, software, data structures, signaling processes,models, environments, vehicles, etc. described in conjunction with FIGS.1-48 and 54A-56.

In step 4908, the communications system 1900 can establish a connectionor communication link between the vehicle 100 and a third party. Thisconnection may be a nearfield communication, wireless communication,cellular communication, etc. Any of the preceding or followingdescriptions of communication connections may be made. In step 4912, theCPU 5608 can then receive a request for a secure communication. Thissecure communication may be authorized or secured using authenticatinginformation. This authenticating information may be informationidentifying a user. As such, the CPU 5608 can retrieve identifyinginformation associated with the user, in step 4916. Here, the CPU mayextract or create a half-token 2312 or information shown in datastructure 2404.

In step 4920, the CPU 5608 may retrieve from memory the informationassociated with the vehicle 100, for example, a VIN 2436, an ESN 2440,an engine code 2444. The vehicle's information may be combined with theuser information into a new grouping of identifying information fromboth the user and vehicle 100, in step 4924. This combined informationmay then be sent by the processor 5608 to the communications system 1900and sent on to another party, in step 4928.

Thus, the vehicle 100 can employ a vehicle VIN 2436, an ESN 2440 for thevehicle 100, an ESN of a mobile device, etc. for communication/purchaseauthentication. Only if a third party receives both sets of informationis there an authentication for a communication/purchase. Anotherindividual cannot purchase anything if the vehicle 100 is carjacked orstolen. Further, in some configurations, a user could provide the VIN2436 and/or ESN 2440 as an ignition key for vehicle 100. An additionallevel of authentication may require a PIN 2512, or additional biometrics2408, for the authorization.

An embodiment of a method 5000 for determining whether a communicationmay be limited by predetermined limits may be as shown in FIG. 50.Generally, the method 5000 starts with a start operation 5004 and endswith operation 5032. The method 5000 can include more or fewer steps orcan arrange the order of the steps differently than those shown in FIG.50. The method 5000 can be executed as a set of computer-executableinstructions executed by a computer system or processor and encoded orstored on a computer readable medium. In other configurations, themethod 5000 may be executed by a series of components, circuits, gates,etc. created in a hardware device, such as a System of Chip (SOC),Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and/r a FieldProgrammable Gate Array (FPGA). Hereinafter, the method 5000 shall beexplained with reference to the systems, components, circuits, modules,software, data structures, signaling processes, models, environments,vehicles, etc. described in conjunction with FIGS. 1-49 and 54A-56.

The communications system 1900 may establish a communications connectionwith a third party, in step 5008. In step 5012, the processor 5608 mayreceive a request for secure communication from the third party. Uponreceiving and in response to receiving such request, the processor 5608may access limits field 2524, in data structure 2504, to retrieve limitson such secure communications, in step 5016. The processor 5608 may thendetermine whether the communications are prohibited by these limits, instep 5020. Here, limits can include limits on the number ofcommunications provided, can include monetary limits on transactionsthat may be conducted, etc. These limits on financial transactions maybe cover two or more vehicles or just for the single vehicle 100. Thelimits may also be associated with a particular financial account oracross family members.

Depending on the limit, the processor 5608 can determine whether acommunication is authorized, in step 5020. If the communication isprohibited, the method 5000 proceeds “YES” to step 5024, where thecommunication is ended. However, if the communication is not prohibited,the method 5000 proceeds “NO” to step 5028, where the communications aresent. For example, without prohibitions, the financial information ofthe user may be sent to conduct a financial transaction.

The limits placed on transaction amounts can be based on an individualor on a collection of people, on a transaction, or over a specifiedperiod of time. The transaction history could be synchronized amongmultiple vehicles to provide a collective limit for all vehicles or maybe based on a limit per-vehicle, per location, etc. Limits on types oftransactions or products being purchased could also be imposed onanother entity, for example, a parent can set transaction limits ondriving teenagers.

Method 5100 may be similar to method 5000. Generally, the method 5100starts with a start operation 5104 and ends with operation 5132. Themethod 5100 can include more or fewer steps or can arrange the order ofthe steps differently than those shown in FIG. 51. The method 5100 canbe executed as a set of computer-executable instructions executed by acomputer system or processor and encoded or stored on a computerreadable medium. In other configurations, the method 5100 may beexecuted by a series of components, circuits, gates, etc. created in ahardware device, such as a System of Chip (SOC), Application SpecificIntegrated Circuit (ASIC), and/r a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).Hereinafter, the method 5100 shall be explained with reference to thesystems, components, circuits, modules, software, data structures,signaling processes, models, environments, vehicles, etc. described inconjunction with FIGS. 1-50 and 54A-56.

The method 5100, shown in FIG. 51, may also set limits oncommunications, similar to method 5000, but, in this situation, based onthird-party limits. Thus, the communication can be established with athird party, in step 5108, and a request for secure communication can bereceived, in step 5112. Rather than retrieving limits made by a user,the limits may be applied from a third party. As such, the third partymay retrieve limits, in step 5116, to determine whether thecommunication is prohibited by those limits, in step 5120. For example,if the third party is a bank, the bank may limit the amount of atransaction or a communication based on limits set by the bank for thevehicle 100. If the limits prohibit the communication, the method 5100proceeds “YES” to step 5124, where the communication is ended. However,if the communication is not prohibited, the method 5100 proceeds “NO” tostep 5128, where the communication is sent.

Method 5100 is directed to the other side of the transaction in method5000. A provider/seller can also have business rules that are applied tothe supplier side. The supplier sets a different notional set ofpurchase rules, i.e. business operational minimums or maximums, tofacilitate selection or negotiation of battery exchange/repair/chargingterms. Such rules are applied when the user seeks such services, asenabled by a searching algorithm querying a database of availableservice stations. Automated negotiation between user and serviceprovider may occur. The business/user is able to adjust selectableparameters, e.g., the user may be in a particular hurry and increasehis/her maximum fee for a certain service, e.g., charging prices. Thus,the business and user may conduct negotiations or bargain within thelimits of pre-defined limits or parameters.

Method 5200 provides for conducting secure communications based on a setof preauthorization rules as shown in FIG. 52. Generally, the method5200 starts with a start operation 5204 and ends with operation 5240.The method 5200 can include more or fewer steps or can arrange the orderof the steps differently than those shown in FIG. 52. The method 5200can be executed as a set of computer-executable instructions executed bya computer system or processor and encoded or stored on a computerreadable medium. In other configurations, the method 5200 may beexecuted by a series of components, circuits, gates, etc. created in ahardware device, such as a System of Chip (SOC), Application SpecificIntegrated Circuit (ASIC), and/r a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).Hereinafter, the method 5200 shall be explained with reference to thesystems, components, circuits, modules, software, data structures,signaling processes, models, environments, vehicles, etc. described inconjunction with FIGS. 1-51 and 54A-56.

In step 5208, the vehicle 100 establishes a connection with a thirdparty through the communications system 1900. Again, the processor 5608receives a request for a secure communication, in step 5212. Rather thanobtaining preferences, the CPU 5608 can retrieve pre-authorization rulesfrom field 2532 of data structure 2504, in step 5216. Thesepre-authorization rules 2532 may be similar to those that are set inuser interface 4000 or 4100. The pre-authorization rules may determinewhether a processor 5608 can conduct pre-orders or other communicationswithout user input, at least for a portion of the communications.

If the communication is allowed by the rules 2532, in step 5220, themethod 5200 proceeds “YES” to step 5228, where the communication is sentthrough the communication system 1900. However, if the communication isnot allowed by the rules 2532, the method 5200 proceeds “NO” to step5224, where the CPU 5608 determines whether the user authorizes thecommunication. If the communication is authorized based on inputreceived in a user interface, such as interface 3000, the method 5200proceeds “YES” to step 5228, again to send the communication. However,if the communications are not authorized or pre-authorized, the method5200 proceeds “NO” to step 5232, where the communication is ended.

The user establishes a set of rules triggering automatic authorizationfor or purchasing of services. For example, the user may establish thatwhen visibility conditions along a route are predicted to drop belowcertain minimum, a moving map display 3800 with overlaid weather isprovided on a vehicle display. Such a display would aid the driver inconsidering alternative routes or increasing the driver's situationalawareness as to the severity, duration, and direction of the cause ofthe visibility drop (e.g., is it ground fog over a wide area expected tolinger or a result of a fast-moving thunderstorm). The real-time movingmap overlaid weather display 3800 may require a costly live feed from aweather satellite, and, as such, the feed is not provided unless thetriggering event is satisfied. In another example, the user mayestablish that if his programmed driving route requires in routecharging, a purchase of a reserved charging spot at a charging stationalong the route is automatically made so as to reserve the spot.

An embodiment of a bifurcated communication between the vehicle 100 anda third party may be as shown in FIG. 5300. Generally, the method 5300starts with a start operation 5304 and ends with operation 5340. Themethod 5300 can include more or fewer steps or can arrange the order ofthe steps differently than those shown in FIG. 53. The method 5300 canbe executed as a set of computer-executable instructions executed by acomputer system or processor and encoded or stored on a computerreadable medium. In other configurations, the method 5300 may beexecuted by a series of components, circuits, gates, etc. created in ahardware device, such as a System of Chip (SOC), Application SpecificIntegrated Circuit (ASIC), and/r a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA).Hereinafter, the method 5300 shall be explained with reference to thesystems, components, circuits, modules, software, data structures,signaling processes, models, environments, vehicles, etc. described inconjunction with FIGS. 1-52 and 54A-56.

Here, a first event may be received, in step 5308. This event may be theuser driving to a certain location, taking a route, or some other typeof event that occurs that causes the vehicle 100 to decide to send afirst portion of a secure communication to a third party, in step 5312.For example, the processor 5608 may provide a pre-order for some good orservice typically purchased by the user at that time of day at thatroute. This pre-authorization may be sent to the third party to preparean order. At some point thereinafter, in step 5316, the processor 5608can receive a second event associated with that first event. The secondevent may be the vehicle 100 driving to the physical location of thethird party. As such, the second event may be the navigation system 302identifying that the vehicle 100 is at the third party's location.

In step 5320, the processor 5608 can determine whether the user thenauthorizes the complete communication/transaction. Here, the user may bepresented with a user interface 3300, 3500 associated with thepreauthorization. If the communication/transaction is authorized, instep 5320, by selecting, for example, button 3512, the method proceeds“YES” to step 5328, where a second portion of the secure communicationmay be sent to a third party. The second communication can be a secondhalf-token. As such, a half-token 2312 can be sent, in step 5312 whilefurther information—such as financial information 2508, a PIN 2512, orsome other type of information to complete the transaction—may be sentas the related second half token, in step 5328. If the user does notauthorize the communication, the method 5300 can proceed “NO” to step5336.

Utilizing the vehicle as a mobile wallet can pose some issues. One issueis the problem with ensuring that the vehicle 100 pays the rightmerchant, at the right time, in the right location. To ensure accuracyin payment, the vehicle 100 may break the payment procedure into two ormore phases. A first phase may order goods or services and may providesome or all of the payment information. A second phase may send thetotal payment information or confirm the information in the first phase,such as by user input in response to a query (e.g., providing a PIN).Thus, the vehicle 100 can pre-authorize charges.

The vehicle 100 may also use different communication media (e.g.,cellular communication, Bluetooth, NFC, etc.) to conduct the two or morephases. Using different communication media can enhance security asmerchants or other nefarious individuals may not use the paymentinformation without both phases of the communication and one of thephases may conducted with a communication media that requires physicalproximity of the vehicle 100. Moreover, having a second phase requiringoperator input can prevent a first vehicle from purchasing goods orservices for another second vehicle waiting in line with the firstvehicle 100.

As an example, the vehicle 100 may be driving toward a pay-point andpre-order a good. The vehicle 100 may understand that the driver isheading towards Starbucks (through past behavior), and the vehicle 100can communicate with the Starbucks that payment will be authorized anddesires their beverage hot, sweet, etc. (based on driver behavior andlocation). The pre-authorization may be sent over a cellular network.When the vehicle 100 arrives at the Starbucks, the final authorizationmay be sent over a local proximity-based payment system, e.g. NFC.

Payment can be authorized based on vehicle identification and lateracceptance. When a vehicle 100 conducts a payment transaction, thetransaction may be authorized based on a unique identifier associatedwith the vehicle and/or a geolocation information associated with thevehicle 100 and/or the driver. During the transaction, the vehicle'scontactless payment system may deliver the payment information as wellas information regarding the vehicle 100 and/or driver of the vehicle.This information may be collected in other ways by the external paymentdevice to support the authorization. For example, the external devicemay photograph the vehicle 100, license plate, and/or driver. Thisinformation may be used to support the authorization for thetransaction. Such pre-transaction authorization may be useful insituations where requiring the driver to manually enter anauthorization, such as by PIN code, signature, etc., may be inconvenientor impossible because the driver is driving the vehicle 100. Forexample, the system may be used for payments made while the vehicle 100is in motion, e.g., for paying while entering/exiting parking garagesand/or for paying for toll-lanes.

FIG. 54A is a is a block diagram of an embodiment of a communicationenvironment 5400 of the vehicle 100 in accordance with embodiments ofthe present disclosure. The communication system 5400 may include one ormore vehicle driving vehicle sensors and systems 5404, sensor processors5440, sensor data memory 5444, vehicle control system 5448,communications subsystem 5450, control data 5464, computing devices5468, display devices 5472, and other components 5474 that may beassociated with a vehicle 100. These associated components may beelectrically and/or communicatively coupled to one another via at leastone bus 5460. In some embodiments, the one or more associated componentsmay send and/or receive signals across a communication network 5452 toat least one of a navigation source 5455A, a control source 5455B, orsome other entity 5455N.

In accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure,the communication network 5452 may comprise any type of knowncommunication medium or collection of communication media and may useany type of protocols, such as SIP, TCP/IP, SNA, IPX, AppleTalk, and thelike, to transport messages between endpoints. The communication network5452 may include wired and/or wireless communication technologies. TheInternet is an example of the communication network 5452 thatconstitutes an Internet Protocol (IP) network consisting of manycomputers, computing networks, and other communication devices locatedall over the world, which are connected through many telephone systemsand other means. Other examples of the communication network 104include, without limitation, a standard Plain Old Telephone System(POTS), an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), the PublicSwitched Telephone Network (PSTN), a Local Area Network (LAN), such asan Ethernet network, a Token-Ring network and/or the like, a Wide AreaNetwork (WAN), a virtual network, including without limitation a virtualprivate network (“VPN”); the Internet, an intranet, an extranet, acellular network, an infra-red network; a wireless network (e.g., anetwork operating under any of the IEEE 802.9 suite of protocols, theBluetooth® protocol known in the art, and/or any other wirelessprotocol), and any other type of packet-switched or circuit-switchednetwork known in the art and/or any combination of these and/or othernetworks. In addition, it can be appreciated that the communicationnetwork 5452 need not be limited to any one network type, and insteadmay be comprised of a number of different networks and/or network types.The communication network 5452 may comprise a number of differentcommunication media such as coaxial cable, copper cable/wire,fiber-optic cable, antennas for transmitting/receiving wirelessmessages, and combinations thereof.

The driving vehicle sensors and systems 5404 may include at least onenavigation 5408 (e.g., global positioning system (GPS), etc.),orientation 5412, odometry 5416, LIDAR 5420, RADAR 5424, ultrasonic5428, camera 5432, infrared (IR) 5436, and/or other sensor or system5438. These driving vehicle sensors and systems 5404 may be similar, ifnot identical, to the sensors and systems 116A-K, 112 described inconjunction with FIGS. 1 and 2.

The navigation sensor 5408 may include one or more sensors havingreceivers and antennas that are configured to utilize a satellite-basednavigation system including a network of navigation satellites capableof providing geolocation and time information to at least one componentof the vehicle 100. Examples of the navigation sensor 5408 as describedherein may include, but are not limited to, at least one of Garmin® GLO™family of GPS and GLONASS combination sensors, Garmin® GPS 15x™ familyof sensors, Garmin® GPS 16x™ family of sensors with high-sensitivityreceiver and antenna, Garmin® GPS 18x OEM family of high-sensitivity GPSsensors, Dewetron DEWE-VGPS series of GPS sensors, GlobalSat 1-Hz seriesof GPS sensors, other industry-equivalent navigation sensors and/orsystems, and may perform navigational and/or geolocation functions usingany known or future-developed standard and/or architecture.

The orientation sensor 5412 may include one or more sensors configuredto determine an orientation of the vehicle 100 relative to at least onereference point. In some embodiments, the orientation sensor 5412 mayinclude at least one pressure transducer, stress/strain gauge,accelerometer, gyroscope, and/or geomagnetic sensor. Examples of thenavigation sensor 5408 as described herein may include, but are notlimited to, at least one of Bosch Sensortec BMX 160 series low-powerabsolute orientation sensors, Bosch Sensortec BMX054 9-axis sensors,Bosch Sensortec BMI054 6-axis inertial sensors, Bosch Sensortec BMI1606-axis inertial sensors, Bosch Sensortec BMF054 9-axis inertial sensors(accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer) with integrated Cortex M0+microcontroller, Bosch Sensortec BMP280 absolute barometric pressuresensors, Infineon TLV493D-A1B6 3D magnetic sensors, InfineonTLI493D-W1B6 3D magnetic sensors, Infineon TL family of 3D magneticsensors, Murata Electronics SCC2000 series combined gyro sensor andaccelerometer, Murata Electronics SCC1300 series combined gyro sensorand accelerometer, other industry-equivalent orientation sensors and/orsystems, and may perform orientation detection and/or determinationfunctions using any known or future-developed standard and/orarchitecture.

The odometry sensor and/or system 5416 may include one or morecomponents that is configured to determine a change in position of thevehicle 100 over time. In some embodiments, the odometry system 5416 mayutilize data from one or more other sensors and/or systems 5404 indetermining a position (e.g., distance, location, etc.) of the vehicle100 relative to a previously measured position for the vehicle 100.Additionally or alternatively, the odometry sensors 5416 may include oneor more encoders, Hall speed sensors, and/or other measurementsensors/devices configured to measure a wheel speed, rotation, and/ornumber of revolutions made over time. Examples of the odometrysensor/system 5416 as described herein may include, but are not limitedto, at least one of Infineon TLE4924/26/27/28C high-performance speedsensors, Infineon TL4941plusC(B) single chip differential Hallwheel-speed sensors, Infineon TL5041plusC Giant Mangnetoresistance (GMR)effect sensors, Infineon TL family of magnetic sensors, EPC Model 25SPAccu-CoderPro™ incremental shaft encoders, EPC Model 30M compactincremental encoders with advanced magnetic sensing and signalprocessing technology, EPC Model 925 absolute shaft encoders, EPC Model958 absolute shaft encoders, EPC Model MA36S/MA63S/SA36S absolute shaftencoders, Dynapar™ F18 commutating optical encoder, Dynapar™ HS35Rfamily of phased array encoder sensors, other industry-equivalentodometry sensors and/or systems, and may perform change in positiondetection and/or determination functions using any known orfuture-developed standard and/or architecture.

The LIDAR sensor/system 5420 may include one or more componentsconfigured to measure distances to targets using laser illumination. Insome embodiments, the LIDAR sensor/system 5420 may provide 3D imagingdata of an environment around the vehicle 100. The imaging data may beprocessed to generate a full 360-degree view of the environment aroundthe vehicle 100. The LIDAR sensor/system 5420 may include a laser lightgenerator configured to generate a plurality of target illuminationlaser beams (e.g., laser light channels). In some embodiments, thisplurality of laser beams may be aimed at, or directed to, a rotatingreflective surface (e.g., a mirror) and guided outwardly from the LIDARsensor/system 5420 into a measurement environment. The rotatingreflective surface may be configured to continually rotate 360 degreesabout an axis, such that the plurality of laser beams is directed in afull 360-degree range around the vehicle 100. A photodiode receiver ofthe LIDAR sensor/system 5420 may detect when light from the plurality oflaser beams emitted into the measurement environment returns (e.g.,reflected echo) to the LIDAR sensor/system 5420. The LIDAR sensor/system5420 may calculate, based on a time associated with the emission oflight to the detected return of light, a distance from the vehicle 100to the illuminated target. In some embodiments, the LIDAR sensor/system5420 may generate over 2.0 million points per second and have aneffective operational range of at least 100 meters. Examples of theLIDAR sensor/system 5420 as described herein may include, but are notlimited to, at least one of Velodyne® LiDAR™ HDL-64E 64-channel LIDARsensors, Velodyne® LiDAR™ HDL-32E 32-channel LIDAR sensors, Velodyne®LiDAR™ PUCK™ VLP-16 16-channel LIDAR sensors, Leica Geosystems Pegasus:Two mobile sensor platform, Garmin® LIDAR-Lite v3 measurement sensor,Quanergy M8 LiDAR sensors, Quanergy S3 solid state LiDAR sensor,LeddarTech® LeddarVU compact solid state fixed-beam LIDAR sensors, otherindustry-equivalent LIDAR sensors and/or systems, and may performilluminated target and/or obstacle detection in an environment aroundthe vehicle 100 using any known or future-developed standard and/orarchitecture.

The RADAR sensors 5424 may include one or more radio components that areconfigured to detect objects/targets in an environment of the vehicle100. In some embodiments, the RADAR sensors 5424 may determine adistance, position, and/or movement vector (e.g., angle, speed, etc.)associated with a target over time. The RADAR sensors 5424 may include atransmitter configured to generate and emit electromagnetic waves (e.g.,radio, microwaves, etc.) and a receiver configured to detect returnedelectromagnetic waves. In some embodiments, the RADAR sensors 5424 mayinclude at least one processor configured to interpret the returnedelectromagnetic waves and determine locational properties of targets.Examples of the RADAR sensors 5424 as described herein may include, butare not limited to, at least one of Infineon RASIC™ RTN7735PLtransmitter and RRN7745PL/46PL receiver sensors, Autoliv ASP VehicleRADAR sensors, Delphi L2C0051TR 77 GHz ESR Electronically Scanning Radarsensors, Fujitsu Ten Ltd. Automotive Compact 77 GHz 3D Electronic ScanMillimeter Wave Radar sensors, other industry-equivalent RADAR sensorsand/or systems, and may perform radio target and/or obstacle detectionin an environment around the vehicle 100 using any known orfuture-developed standard and/or architecture.

The ultrasonic sensors 5428 may include one or more components that areconfigured to detect objects/targets in an environment of the vehicle100. In some embodiments, the ultrasonic sensors 5428 may determine adistance, position, and/or movement vector (e.g., angle, speed, etc.)associated with a target over time. The ultrasonic sensors 5428 mayinclude an ultrasonic transmitter and receiver, or transceiver,configured to generate and emit ultrasound waves and interpret returnedechoes of those waves. In some embodiments, the ultrasonic sensors 5428may include at least one processor configured to interpret the returnedultrasonic waves and determine locational properties of targets.Examples of the ultrasonic sensors 5428 as described herein may include,but are not limited to, at least one of Texas Instruments TIDA-00151automotive ultrasonic sensor interface IC sensors, MaxBotix® MB8450ultrasonic proximity sensor, MaxBotix® ParkSonar™-EZ ultrasonicproximity sensors, Murata Electronics MA40H1S-R open-structureultrasonic sensors, Murata Electronics MA40S4R/S open-structureultrasonic sensors, Murata Electronics MA58MF14-7N waterproof ultrasonicsensors, other industry-equivalent ultrasonic sensors and/or systems,and may perform ultrasonic target and/or obstacle detection in anenvironment around the vehicle 100 using any known or future-developedstandard and/or architecture.

The camera sensors 5432 may include one or more components configured todetect image information associated with an environment of the vehicle100. In some embodiments, the camera sensors 5432 may include a lens,filter, image sensor, and/or a digital image processer. It is an aspectof the present disclosure that multiple camera sensors 5432 may be usedtogether to generate stereo images providing depth measurements.Examples of the camera sensors 5432 as described herein may include, butare not limited to, at least one of ON Semiconductor® MT9V024 GlobalShutter VGA GS CMOS image sensors, Teledyne DALSA Falcon2 camerasensors, CMOSIS CMV50000 high-speed CMOS image sensors, otherindustry-equivalent camera sensors and/or systems, and may performvisual target and/or obstacle detection in an environment around thevehicle 100 using any known or future-developed standard and/orarchitecture.

The infrared (IR) sensors 5436 may include one or more componentsconfigured to detect image information associated with an environment ofthe vehicle 100. The IR sensors 5436 may be configured to detect targetsin low-light, dark, or poorly-lit environments. The IR sensors 5436 mayinclude an IR light emitting element (e.g., IR light emitting diode(LED), etc.) and an IR photodiode. In some embodiments, the IRphotodiode may be configured to detect returned IR light at or about thesame wavelength to that emitted by the IR light emitting element. Insome embodiments, the IR sensors 5436 may include at least one processorconfigured to interpret the returned IR light and determine locationalproperties of targets. The IR sensors 5436 may be configured to detectand/or measure a temperature associated with a target (e.g., an object,pedestrian, other vehicle, etc.). Examples of IR sensors 5436 asdescribed herein may include, but are not limited to, at least one ofOpto Diode lead-salt IR array sensors, Opto Diode OD-850 Near-IR LEDsensors, Opto Diode SA/SHA727 steady state IR emitters and IR detectors,FUR® LS microbolometer sensors, FUR® TacFLIR 380-HD InSb MWIR FPA and HDMWIR thermal sensors, FLIR® VOx 640×480 pixel detector sensors, DelphiIR sensors, other industry-equivalent IR sensors and/or systems, and mayperform IR visual target and/or obstacle detection in an environmentaround the vehicle 100 using any known or future-developed standardand/or architecture.

The vehicle 100 can also include one or more interior sensors 5437.Interior sensors 5437 can measure characteristics of the insideenvironment of the vehicle 100. The interior sensors 5437 may be asdescribed in conjunction with FIG. 54B.

A navigation system 5402 can include any hardware and/or software usedto navigate the vehicle either manually or autonomously. The navigationsystem 5402 may be as described in conjunction with FIG. 54C.

In some embodiments, the driving vehicle sensors and systems 5404 mayinclude other sensors 5438 and/or combinations of the sensors 5406-5437described above. Additionally or alternatively, one or more of thesensors 5406-5437 described above may include one or more processorsconfigured to process and/or interpret signals detected by the one ormore sensors 5406-5437. In some embodiments, the processing of at leastsome sensor information provided by the vehicle sensors and systems 5404may be processed by at least one sensor processor 5440. Raw and/orprocessed sensor data may be stored in a sensor data memory 5444 storagemedium. In some embodiments, the sensor data memory 5444 may storeinstructions used by the sensor processor 5440 for processing sensorinformation provided by the sensors and systems 5404. In any event, thesensor data memory 5444 may be a disk drive, optical storage device,solid-state storage device such as a random access memory (“RAM”) and/ora read-only memory (“ROM”), which can be programmable, flash-updateable,and/or the like.

The vehicle control system 5448 may receive processed sensor informationfrom the sensor processor 5440 and determine to control an aspect of thevehicle 100. Controlling an aspect of the vehicle 100 may includepresenting information via one or more display devices 5472 associatedwith the vehicle, sending commands to one or more computing devices 5468associated with the vehicle, and/or controlling a driving operation ofthe vehicle. In some embodiments, the vehicle control system 5448 maycorrespond to one or more computing systems that control drivingoperations of the vehicle 100 in accordance with the Levels of drivingautonomy described above. In one embodiment, the vehicle control system5448 may operate a speed of the vehicle 100 by controlling an outputsignal to the accelerator and/or braking system of the vehicle. In thisexample, the vehicle control system 5448 may receive sensor datadescribing an environment surrounding the vehicle 100 and, based on thesensor data received, determine to adjust the acceleration, poweroutput, and/or braking of the vehicle 100. The vehicle control system5448 may additionally control steering and/or other driving functions ofthe vehicle 100.

The vehicle control system 5448 may communicate, in real-time, with thedriving sensors and systems 5404 forming a feedback loop. In particular,upon receiving sensor information describing a condition of targets inthe environment surrounding the vehicle 100, the vehicle control system5448 may autonomously make changes to a driving operation of the vehicle100. The vehicle control system 5448 may then receive subsequent sensorinformation describing any change to the condition of the targetsdetected in the environment as a result of the changes made to thedriving operation. This continual cycle of observation (e.g., via thesensors, etc.) and action (e.g., selected control or non-control ofvehicle operations, etc.) allows the vehicle 100 to operate autonomouslyin the environment.

In some embodiments, the one or more components of the vehicle 100(e.g., the driving vehicle sensors 5404, vehicle control system 5448,display devices 5472, etc.) may communicate across the communicationnetwork 5452 to one or more entities 5455A-N via a communicationssubsystem 5450 of the vehicle 100. Embodiments of the communicationssubsystem 5450 are described in greater detail in conjunction with FIG.5. For instance, the navigation sensors 5408 may receive globalpositioning, location, and/or navigational information from a navigationsource 5455A. In some embodiments, the navigation source 5455A may be aglobal navigation satellite system (GNSS) similar, if not identical, toNAVSTAR GPS, GLONASS, EU Galileo, and/or the BeiDou Navigation SatelliteSystem (BDS) to name a few.

In some embodiments, the vehicle control system 5448 may receive controlinformation from one or more control sources 5455B. The control source5455 may provide vehicle control information including autonomousdriving control commands, vehicle operation override control commands,and the like. The control source 5455 may correspond to an autonomousvehicle control system, a traffic control system, an administrativecontrol entity, and/or some other controlling server. It is an aspect ofthe present disclosure that the vehicle control system 5448 and/or othercomponents of the vehicle 100 may exchange communications with thecontrol source 5455 across the communication network 5452 and via thecommunications subsystem 5450.

Information associated with controlling driving operations of thevehicle 100 may be stored in a control data memory 5464 storage medium.The control data memory 5464 may store instructions used by the vehiclecontrol system 5448 for controlling driving operations of the vehicle100, historical control information, autonomous driving control rules,and the like. In some embodiments, the control data memory 5464 may be adisk drive, optical storage device, solid-state storage device such as arandom access memory (“RAM”) and/or a read-only memory (“ROM”), whichcan be programmable, flash-updateable, and/or the like.

In addition to the mechanical components described herein, the vehicle100 may include a number of user interface devices. The user interfacedevices receive and translate human input into a mechanical movement orelectrical signal or stimulus. The human input may be one or more ofmotion (e.g., body movement, body part movement, in two-dimensional orthree-dimensional space, etc.), voice, touch, and/or physicalinteraction with the components of the vehicle 100. In some embodiments,the human input may be configured to control one or more functions ofthe vehicle 100 and/or systems of the vehicle 100 described herein. Userinterfaces may include, but are in no way limited to, at least onegraphical user interface of a display device, steering wheel ormechanism, transmission lever or button (e.g., including park, neutral,reverse, and/or drive positions, etc.), throttle control pedal ormechanism, brake control pedal or mechanism, power control switch,communications equipment, etc.

FIG. 54B shows a block diagram of an embodiment of interior sensors 5437for a vehicle 100. The interior sensors 5437 may be arranged into one ormore groups, based at least partially on the function of the interiorsensors 5437. For example, the interior space of a vehicle 100 mayinclude environmental sensors, user interface sensors, and/or safetysensors. Additionally or alternatively, there may be sensors associatedwith various devices inside the vehicle (e.g., smart phones, tablets,mobile computers, wearables, etc.)

Environmental sensors may comprise sensors configured to collect datarelating to the internal environment of a vehicle 100. Examples ofenvironmental sensors may include one or more of, but are not limitedto: oxygen/air sensors 5401, temperature sensors 5403, humidity sensors5405, light/photo sensors 5407, and more. The oxygen/air sensors 5401may be configured to detect a quality or characteristic of the air inthe interior space 108 of the vehicle 100 (e.g., ratios and/or types ofgasses comprising the air inside the vehicle 100, dangerous gas levels,safe gas levels, etc.). Temperature sensors 5403 may be configured todetect temperature readings of one or more objects, users 216, and/orareas of a vehicle 100. Humidity sensors 5405 may detect an amount ofwater vapor present in the air inside the vehicle 100. The light/photosensors 5407 can detect an amount of light present in the vehicle 100.Further, the light/photo sensors 5407 may be configured to detectvarious levels of light intensity associated with light in the vehicle100.

User interface sensors may comprise sensors configured to collect datarelating to one or more users (e.g., a driver and/or passenger(s)) in avehicle 100. As can be appreciated, the user interface sensors mayinclude sensors that are configured to collect data from users 216 inone or more areas of the vehicle 100. Examples of user interface sensorsmay include one or more of, but are not limited to: infrared sensors5409, motion sensors 5411, weight sensors 5413, wireless network sensors5415, biometric sensors 5417, camera (or image) sensors 5419, audiosensors 5421, and more.

Infrared sensors 5409 may be used to measure IR light irradiating fromat least one surface, user, or another object in the vehicle 100. Amongother things, the Infrared sensors 5409 may be used to measuretemperatures, form images (especially in low light conditions), identifyusers 216, and even detect motion in the vehicle 100.

The motion sensors 5411 may detect motion and/or movement of objectsinside the vehicle 104. Optionally, the motion sensors 5411 may be usedalone or in combination to detect movement. For example, a user may beoperating a vehicle 100 (e.g., while driving, etc.) when a passenger inthe rear of the vehicle 100 unbuckles a safety belt and proceeds to moveabout the vehicle 10. In this example, the movement of the passengercould be detected by the motion sensors 5411. In response to detectingthe movement and/or the direction associated with the movement, thepassenger may be prevented from interfacing with and/or accessing atleast some of the vehicle control features. As can be appreciated, theuser may be alerted of the movement/motion such that the user can act toprevent the passenger from interfering with the vehicle controls.Optionally, the number of motion sensors in a vehicle may be increasedto increase an accuracy associated with motion detected in the vehicle100.

Weight sensors 5413 may be employed to collect data relating to objectsand/or users in various areas of the vehicle 100. In some cases, theweight sensors 5413 may be included in the seats and/or floor of avehicle 100. Optionally, the vehicle 100 may include a wireless networksensor 5415. This sensor 5415 may be configured to detect one or morewireless network(s) inside the vehicle 100. Examples of wirelessnetworks may include, but are not limited to, wireless communicationsutilizing Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi™, ZigBee, IEEE 802.11, and other wirelesstechnology standards. For example, a mobile hotspot may be detectedinside the vehicle 100 via the wireless network sensor 5415. In thiscase, the vehicle 100 may determine to utilize and/or share the mobilehotspot detected via/with one or more other devices associated with thevehicle 100.

Biometric sensors 5417 may be employed to identify and/or recordcharacteristics associated with a user. It is anticipated that biometricsensors 5417 can include at least one of image sensors, IR sensors,fingerprint readers, weight sensors, load cells, force transducers,heart rate monitors, blood pressure monitors, and the like as providedherein.

The camera sensors 5419 may record still images, video, and/orcombinations thereof. Camera sensors 5419 may be used alone or incombination to identify objects, users, and/or other features, insidethe vehicle 100. Two or more camera sensors 5419 may be used incombination to form, among other things, stereo and/or three-dimensional(3D) images. The stereo images can be recorded and/or used to determinedepth associated with objects and/or users in a vehicle 100. Further,the camera sensors 5419 used in combination may determine the complexgeometry associated with identifying characteristics of a user. Forexample, the camera sensors 5419 may be used to determine dimensionsbetween various features of a user's face (e.g., the depth/distance froma user's nose to a user's cheeks, a linear distance between the centerof a user's eyes, and more). These dimensions may be used to verify,record, and even modify characteristics that serve to identify a user.The camera sensors 5419 may also be used to determine movementassociated with objects and/or users within the vehicle 100. It shouldbe appreciated that the number of image sensors used in a vehicle 100may be increased to provide greater dimensional accuracy and/or views ofa detected image in the vehicle 100.

The audio sensors 5421 may be configured to receive audio input from auser of the vehicle 100. The audio input from a user may correspond tovoice commands, conversations detected in the vehicle 100, phone callsmade in the vehicle 100, and/or other audible expressions made in thevehicle 100. Audio sensors 5421 may include, but are not limited to,microphones and other types of acoustic-to-electric transducers orsensors. Optionally, the interior audio sensors 5421 may be configuredto receive and convert sound waves into an equivalent analog or digitalsignal. The interior audio sensors 5421 may serve to determine one ormore locations associated with various sounds in the vehicle 100. Thelocation of the sounds may be determined based on a comparison of volumelevels, intensity, and the like, between sounds detected by two or moreinterior audio sensors 5421. For instance, a first audio sensor 5421 maybe located in a first area of the vehicle 100 and a second audio sensor5421 may be located in a second area of the vehicle 100. If a sound isdetected at a first volume level by the first audio sensors 5421 A and asecond, higher, volume level by the second audio sensors 5421 in thesecond area of the vehicle 100, the sound may be determined to be closerto the second area of the vehicle 100. As can be appreciated, the numberof sound receivers used in a vehicle 100 may be increased (e.g., morethan two, etc.) to increase measurement accuracy surrounding sounddetection and location, or source, of the sound (e.g., viatriangulation, etc.).

The safety sensors may comprise sensors configured to collect datarelating to the safety of a user and/or one or more components of avehicle 100. Examples of safety sensors may include one or more of, butare not limited to: force sensors 5425, mechanical motion sensors 5427,orientation sensors 5429, restraint sensors 5431, and more.

The force sensors 5425 may include one or more sensors inside thevehicle 100 configured to detect a force observed in the vehicle 100.One example of a force sensor 5425 may include a force transducer thatconverts measured forces (e.g., force, weight, pressure, etc.) intooutput signals. Mechanical motion sensors 5427 may correspond toencoders, accelerometers, damped masses, and the like. Optionally, themechanical motion sensors 5427 may be adapted to measure the force ofgravity (i.e., G-force) as observed inside the vehicle 100. Measuringthe G-force observed inside a vehicle 100 can provide valuableinformation related to a vehicle's acceleration, deceleration,collisions, and/or forces that may have been suffered by one or moreusers in the vehicle 100. Orientation sensors 5429 can includeaccelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetic sensors, and the like that areconfigured to detect an orientation associated with the vehicle 100.

The restraint sensors 5431 may correspond to sensors associated with oneor more restraint devices and/or systems in a vehicle 100. Seatbelts andairbags are examples of restraint devices and/or systems. As can beappreciated, the restraint devices and/or systems may be associated withone or more sensors that are configured to detect a state of thedevice/system. The state may include extension, engagement, retraction,disengagement, deployment, and/or other electrical or mechanicalconditions associated with the device/system.

The associated device sensors 5423 can include any sensors that areassociated with a device in the vehicle 100. As previously stated,typical devices may include smart phones, tablets, laptops, mobilecomputers, and the like. It is anticipated that the various sensorsassociated with these devices can be employed by the vehicle controlsystem 5448. For example, a typical smart phone can include, an imagesensor, an IR sensor, audio sensor, gyroscope, accelerometer, wirelessnetwork sensor, fingerprint reader, and more. It is an aspect of thepresent disclosure that one or more of these associated device sensors5423 may be used by one or more subsystems of the vehicle 100.

FIG. 54C illustrates a GPS/Navigation subsystem(s) 5402. The navigationsubsystem(s) 5402 can be any present or future-built navigation systemthat may use location data, for example, from the Global PositioningSystem (GPS), to provide navigation information or control the vehicle100. The navigation subsystem(s) 5402 can include several components,such as, one or more of, but not limited to: a GPS Antenna/receiver5431, a location module 5433, a maps database 5435, etc. Generally, theseveral components or modules 5431-5435 may be hardware, software,firmware, computer readable media, or combinations thereof.

A GPS Antenna/receiver 5431 can be any antenna, GPS puck, and/orreceiver capable of receiving signals from a GPS satellite or othernavigation system. The signals may be demodulated, converted,interpreted, etc. by the GPS Antenna/receiver 5431 and provided to thelocation module 5433. Thus, the GPS Antenna/receiver 5431 may convertthe time signals from the GPS system and provide a location (e.g.,coordinates on a map) to the location module 5433. Alternatively, thelocation module 5433 can interpret the time signals into coordinates orother location information.

The location module 5433 can be the controller of the satellitenavigation system designed for use in the vehicle 100. The locationmodule 5433 can acquire position data, as from the GPS Antenna/receiver5431, to locate the user or vehicle 100 on a road in the unit's mapdatabase 5435. Using the road database 5435, the location module 5433can give directions to other locations along roads also in the database5435. When a GPS signal is not available, the location module 5433 mayapply dead reckoning to estimate distance data from sensors 5404including one or more of, but not limited to, a speed sensor attached tothe drive train of the vehicle 100, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, etc.Additionally or alternatively, the location module 5433 may use knownlocations of Wi-Fi hotspots, cell tower data, etc. to determine theposition of the vehicle 100, such as by using time difference of arrival(TDOA) and/or frequency difference of arrival (FDOA) techniques.

The maps database 5435 can include any hardware and/or software to storeinformation about maps, geographical information system (GIS)information, location information, etc. The maps database 5435 caninclude any data definition or other structure to store the information.Generally, the maps database 5435 can include a road database that mayinclude one or more vector maps of areas of interest. Street names,street numbers, house numbers, and other information can be encoded asgeographic coordinates so that the user can find some desireddestination by street address. Points of interest (waypoints) can alsobe stored with their geographic coordinates. For example, a point ofinterest may include speed cameras, fuel stations, public parking, and“parked here” (or “you parked here”) information. The maps database 5435may also include road or street characteristics, for example, speedlimits, location of stop lights/stop signs, lane divisions, schoollocations, etc. The map database contents can be produced or updated bya server connected through a wireless system in communication with theInternet, even as the vehicle 100 is driven along existing streets,yielding an up-to-date map.

FIG. 55 illustrates a block diagram of a computing environment 5500 thatmay function as the servers, user computers, or other systems providedand described herein. The computing environment 5500 includes one ormore user computers, or computing devices, such as a vehicle computingdevice 5504, a communication device 5508, and/or more 5512. Thecomputing devices 5504, 5508, 5512 may include general purpose personalcomputers (including, merely by way of example, personal computers,and/or laptop computers running various versions of Microsoft Corp.'sWindows® and/or Apple Corp.'s Macintosh® operating systems) and/orworkstation computers running any of a variety of commercially-availableUNIX® or UNIX-like operating systems. These computing devices 5504,5508, 5512 may also have any of a variety of applications, including forexample, database client and/or server applications, and web browserapplications. Alternatively, the computing devices 5504, 5508, 5512 maybe any other electronic device, such as a thin-client computer,Internet-enabled mobile telephone, and/or personal digital assistant,capable of communicating via a network 352 and/or displaying andnavigating web pages or other types of electronic documents. Althoughthe exemplary computing environment 5500 is shown with two computingdevices, any number of user computers or computing devices may besupported.

The computing environment 5500 may also include one or more servers5514, 5516. In this example, server 5514 is shown as a web server andserver 5516 is shown as an application server. The web server 5514,which may be used to process requests for web pages or other electronicdocuments from computing devices 5504, 5508, 5512. The web server 5514can be running an operating system including any of those discussedabove, as well as any commercially-available server operating systems.The web server 5514 can also run a variety of server applications,including SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) servers, HTTP(s) servers,FTP servers, CGI servers, database servers, Java servers, and the like.In some instances, the web server 5514 may publish operations availableoperations as one or more web services.

The computing environment 5500 may also include one or more file andor/application servers 5516, which can, in addition to an operatingsystem, include one or more applications accessible by a client runningon one or more of the computing devices 5504, 5508, 5512. The server(s)5516 and/or 5514 may be one or more general purpose computers capable ofexecuting programs or scripts in response to the computing devices 5504,5508, 5512. As one example, the server 5516, 5514 may execute one ormore web applications. The web application may be implemented as one ormore scripts or programs written in any programming language, such asJava™, C, C#®, or C++, and/or any scripting language, such as Perl,Python, or TCL, as well as combinations of any programming/scriptinglanguages. The application server(s) 5516 may also include databaseservers, including without limitation those commercially available fromOracle®, Microsoft®, Sybase®, IBM® and the like, which can processrequests from database clients running on a computing device 5504, 5508,5512.

The web pages created by the server 5514 and/or 5516 may be forwarded toa computing device 5504, 5508, 5512 via a web (file) server 5514, 5516.Similarly, the web server 5514 may be able to receive web page requests,web services invocations, and/or input data from a computing device5504, 5508, 5512 (e.g., a user computer, etc.) and can forward the webpage requests and/or input data to the web (application) server 5516. Infurther embodiments, the server 5516 may function as a file server.Although for ease of description, FIG. 55 illustrates a separate webserver 5514 and file/application server 5516, those skilled in the artwill recognize that the functions described with respect to servers5514, 5516 may be performed by a single server and/or a plurality ofspecialized servers, depending on implementation-specific needs andparameters. The computer systems 5504, 5508, 5512, web (file) server5514 and/or web (application) server 5516 may function as the system,devices, or components described in FIGS. 1-54.

The computing environment 5500 may also include a database 5518. Thedatabase 5518 may reside in a variety of locations. By way of example,database 5518 may reside on a storage medium local to (and/or residentin) one or more of the computers 5504, 5508, 5512, 5514, 5516.Alternatively, it may be remote from any or all of the computers 5504,5508, 5512, 5514, 5516, and in communication (e.g., via the network5510) with one or more of these. The database 5518 may reside in astorage-area network (“SAN”) familiar to those skilled in the art.Similarly, any necessary files for performing the functions attributedto the computers 5504, 5508, 5512, 5514, 5516 may be stored locally onthe respective computer and/or remotely, as appropriate. The database5518 may be a relational database, such as Oracle 20i®, that is adaptedto store, update, and retrieve data in response to SQL-formattedcommands.

FIG. 56 illustrates one embodiment of a computer system 5600 upon whichthe servers, user computers, computing devices, or other systems orcomponents described above may be deployed or executed. The computersystem 5600 is shown comprising hardware elements that may beelectrically coupled via a bus 5604. The hardware elements may includeone or more central processing units (CPUs) 5608; one or more inputdevices 5612 (e.g., a mouse, a keyboard, etc.); and one or more outputdevices 5616 (e.g., a display device, a printer, etc.). The computersystem 5600 may also include one or more storage devices 5620. By way ofexample, storage device(s) 5620 may be disk drives, optical storagedevices, solid-state storage devices such as a random access memory(“RAM”) and/or a read-only memory (“ROM”), which can be programmable,flash-updateable and/or the like.

The computer system 5600 may additionally include a computer-readablestorage media reader 5624; a communications system 5628 (e.g., a modem,a network card (wireless or wired), an infra-red communication device,etc.); and working memory 5636, which may include RAM and ROM devices asdescribed above. The computer system 5600 may also include a processingacceleration unit 5632, which can include a DSP, a special-purposeprocessor, and/or the like.

The computer-readable storage media reader 5624 can further be connectedto a computer-readable storage medium, together (and, optionally, incombination with storage device(s) 5620) comprehensively representingremote, local, fixed, and/or removable storage devices plus storagemedia for temporarily and/or more permanently containingcomputer-readable information. The communications system 5628 may permitdata to be exchanged with a network and/or any other computer describedabove with respect to the computer environments described herein.Moreover, as disclosed herein, the term “storage medium” may representone or more devices for storing data, including read only memory (ROM),random access memory (RAM), magnetic RAM, core memory, magnetic diskstorage mediums, optical storage mediums, flash memory devices and/orother machine readable mediums for storing information.

The computer system 5600 may also comprise software elements, shown asbeing currently located within a working memory 5636, including anoperating system 5640 and/or other code 5644. It should be appreciatedthat alternate embodiments of a computer system 5600 may have numerousvariations from that described above. For example, customized hardwaremight also be used and/or particular elements might be implemented inhardware, software (including portable software, such as applets), orboth. Further, connection to other computing devices such as networkinput/output devices may be employed.

Examples of the processors 340, 5608 as described herein may include,but are not limited to, at least one of Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 800 and801, Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 620 and 615 with 4G LTE Integration and64-bit computing, Apple® A7 processor with 64-bit architecture, Apple®M7 motion coprocessors, Samsung® Exynos® series, the Intel® Core™ familyof processors, the Intel® Xeon® family of processors, the Intel® Atom™family of processors, the Intel Itanium® family of processors, Intel®Core® i5-4670K and i7-4770K 22 nm Haswell, Intel® Core® i5-3560K 22 nmIvy Bridge, the AMD® FX™ family of processors, AMD® FX-4300, FX-6300,and FX-8350 32 nm Vishera, AMD® Kaveri processors, Texas Instruments®Jacinto C6000™ automotive infotainment processors, Texas Instruments®OMAP™ automotive-grade mobile processors, ARM® Cortex™-M processors,ARM® Cortex-A and ARM926EJ-S™ processors, other industry-equivalentprocessors, and may perform computational functions using any known orfuture-developed standard, instruction set, libraries, and/orarchitecture.

Any of the steps, functions, and operations discussed herein can beperformed continuously and automatically.

Aspects of the embodiments can include: A vehicle, comprising: a sensorto: detect a first presence of a driver in a vehicle; detect a secondpresence of a passenger in the vehicle a memory to: store firstsensitive information for the driver of the vehicle; store secondsensitive information for a passenger in the vehicle; a processor incommunication with the sensor and the memory, the processor to: receivethe first presence and second presence; provide a user interface for thepassenger to enter the sensitive information; receive the secondsensitive information for the passenger;associate the second sensitive information with the vehicle; and sendthe second sensitive information to the memory for storage.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the sensor receivesbiometric information associated with the passenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the biometric informationis also stored with the second sensitive information.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein, when the passenger entersthe vehicle a second time, the biometric information identifies thepassenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second sensitiveinformation is encrypted in the memory.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second sensitiveinformation comprises one or more of a biometric, a username. apassword, mobile device information, payment information, a personalidentification number, identifiers, an address, limits, preferences,and/or rules.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second sensitiveinformation comprises one or more of a desired product, a desiredservice, and/or a triggering event.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the processor presents auser interface to a head unit display to receive the second sensitiveinformation.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the user interfacereceives input from the passenger in the user interface.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the input includesfinancial information.

A method for associated passenger information with a vehicle,comprising: detecting a first presence of a driver in a vehicle;detecting a second presence of a passenger in the vehicle receiving thefirst presence and second presence; providing a user interface for thepassenger to enter the sensitive information; receiving the secondsensitive information for the passenger; associating the secondsensitive information with the vehicle; and storing second sensitiveinformation for a passenger in the vehicle.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the sensor receivesbiometric information associated with the passenger, wherein thebiometric information is also stored with the second sensitiveinformation, and wherein, when the passenger enters the vehicle a secondtime, the biometric information identifies the passenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second sensitiveinformation is encrypted in the memory, wherein the second sensitiveinformation comprises one or more of a biometric, a username. apassword, mobile device information, payment information, a personalidentification number, identifiers, an address, limits, preferences,and/or rules.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second sensitiveinformation comprises one or more of a desired product, a desiredservice, and/or a triggering event.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the processor presents auser interface to receive the second sensitive information, wherein theuser interface receives input from the passenger, and wherein the inputincludes financial information.

A non-transitory information storage media having stored thereon one ormore instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause avehicle to perform a method, the method comprising: detecting a firstpresence of a driver in a vehicle; detecting a second presence of apassenger in the vehicle receiving the first presence and secondpresence; providing a user interface for the passenger to enter thesensitive information; receiving the second sensitive information forthe passenger; associating the second sensitive information with thevehicle; and storing second sensitive information for a passenger in thevehicle.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the sensor receivesbiometric information associated with the passenger, wherein thebiometric information is also stored with the second sensitiveinformation, and wherein, when the passenger enters the vehicle a secondtime, the biometric information identifies the passenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second sensitiveinformation is encrypted in the memory, wherein the second sensitiveinformation comprises one or more of a biometric, a username. apassword, mobile device information, payment information, a personalidentification number, identifiers, an address, limits, preferences,and/or rules.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second sensitiveinformation comprises one or more of a desired product, a desiredservice, and/or a triggering event.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the processor presents auser interface to receive the second sensitive information, wherein theuser interface receives input from the passenger, and wherein the inputincludes financial information.

A vehicle, comprising: two or more radio frequency (RF) antennas tocommunicate wirelessly sensitive information associated with a user ofthe vehicle; two or more RF transceivers, each RF transceiver associatedwith one of the two or more RF antennas, the two or more RF transceiversto communicate wirelessly sensitive information associated with a userof the vehicle; a processor in communication with the two or more RFtransceivers, the processor to: determine which one of the two or moreRF antennas is receiving a strongest signal; select a first RFtransceiver associated with the RF antenna with the strongest signal tosend the sensitive information; and send the sensitive information tothe first RF transceiver.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the RF transceiver and RFantenna are a radio frequency identification device.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the RFID device is anactive RFID device.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first RF antenna islocated near a side mirror of the vehicle.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first RF antennacommunicates with a second RF antenna in physical proximity of a drivethrough window of a drive through restaurant.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first RF antenna islocated on a roof of the vehicle.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first RF antennacommunicates with a second RF antenna in above the vehicle in a tolllane.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first RF antenna islocated near a charging port or a gas refill door.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first RF antennacommunicates with a second RF antenna on a charging station or gas pump.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the vehiclecontemporaneously communicates through two or more RF antennas.

A method for communicating information with a vehicle, comprising:receiving a signal at one of two or more radio frequency (RF) antennasand one of two or more RF transceivers, wherein each RF transceiver isassociated with one of the two or more RF antennas, to communicatewirelessly sensitive information associated with a user of the vehicle;determining which one of the two or more RF antennas is receiving astrongest signal; selecting a first RF transceiver associated with theRF antenna with the strongest signal to send the sensitive information;and sending the sensitive information through the first RF transceiver.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the RF transceiver and RFantenna are a radio frequency identification device, and wherein theRFID device is an active RFID device.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first RF antenna islocated near a side mirror of the vehicle, wherein the first RF antennacommunicates with a second RF antenna in physical proximity of a drivethrough window of a drive through restaurant.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first RF antenna islocated on a roof of the vehicle, and wherein the first RF antennacommunicates with a second RF antenna in above the vehicle in a tolllane.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first RF antenna islocated near a charging port or a gas refill door, and wherein the firstRF antenna communicates with a second RF antenna on a charging stationor gas pump.

A non-transitory information storage media having stored thereon one ormore instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause avehicle to perform a method, the method comprising: receiving a signalat one of two or more radio frequency (RF) antennas and one of two ormore RF transceivers, wherein each RF transceiver is associated with oneof the two or more RF antennas, to communicate wirelessly sensitiveinformation associated with a user of the vehicle; determining which oneof the two or more RF antennas is receiving a strongest signal;selecting a first RF transceiver associated with the RF antenna with thestrongest signal to send the sensitive information; and sending thesensitive information through the first RF transceiver.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the RF transceiver and RFantenna are a radio frequency identification device, and wherein theRFID device is an active RFID device.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first RF antenna islocated near a side mirror of the vehicle, wherein the first RF antennacommunicates with a second RF antenna in physical proximity of a drivethrough window of a drive through restaurant.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first RF antenna islocated on a roof of the vehicle, and wherein the first RF antennacommunicates with a second RF antenna in above the vehicle in a tolllane.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first RF antenna islocated near a charging port or a gas refill door, and wherein the firstRF antenna communicates with a second RF antenna on a charging stationor gas pump.

A vehicle, comprising: a sensor to: detect a presence of a driver in avehicle; a memory to: store sensitive information for the driver of thevehicle; a processor in communication with the sensor and the memory,the processor to: receive the presence; based upon receiving thepresence, provide a user interface for the passenger to enter userinformation; receive vehicle information associated with the vehicle;combine the user information and the vehicle information to generatesensitive information; and send the sensitive information to the memoryfor storage.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the sensor receivesbiometric information associated with the passenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the biometric informationis also stored with the sensitive information.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the sensitive informationis sent to a third party to authenticate the user.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the sensitive informationis encrypted in the memory.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the user informationcomprises one or more of a biometric, a username. a password, mobiledevice information, payment information, a personal identificationnumber, identifiers, an address, limits, preferences, and/or rules.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the user informationcomprises one or more of a desired product, a desired service, and/or atriggering event.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the processor presents auser interface to a head unit display to receive the second sensitiveinformation.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the user interfacereceives input from the passenger in the user interface, wherein theinput includes financial information.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the vehicle informationcomprises a vehicle identification number (VIN), an electronic serialnumber (ESN), and/or an engine code.

A method for communicating information with a vehicle, comprising:detecting a presence of a driver in a vehicle; based upon receiving thepresence, providing a user interface for the passenger to enter userinformation; receiving vehicle information associated with the vehicle;combining the user information and the vehicle information to generatesensitive information; and sending the sensitive information to thememory for storage.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger, and wherein the biometric information is also stored with thesensitive information.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the sensitive informationis sent to a third party to authenticate the user.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the user informationcomprises one or more of a biometric, a username. a password, mobiledevice information, payment information, a personal identificationnumber, identifiers, an address, limits, preferences, rules, a desiredproduct, a desired service, and/or a triggering event.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the vehicle informationcomprises a vehicle identification number (VIN), an electronic serialnumber (ESN), and/or an engine code.

A non-transitory information storage media having stored thereon one ormore instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause avehicle to perform a method, the method comprising: detecting a presenceof a driver in a vehicle; based upon receiving the presence, providing auser interface for the passenger to enter user information; receivingvehicle information associated with the vehicle; combining the userinformation and the vehicle information to generate sensitiveinformation; and sending the sensitive information to the memory forstorage.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger, and wherein the biometric information is also stored with thesensitive information.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the sensitive informationis sent to a third party to authenticate the user.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the user informationcomprises one or more of a biometric, a username. a password, mobiledevice information, payment information, a personal identificationnumber, identifiers, an address, limits, preferences, rules, a desiredproduct, a desired service, and/or a triggering event.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the vehicle informationcomprises a vehicle identification number (VIN), an electronic serialnumber (ESN), and/or an engine code.

A vehicle, comprising: a navigation system to provide a location and/ora route of the vehicle; a memory to: store user preferences associatedwith a user in the vehicle; a processor in communication with thenavigation system and the memory, the processor to: determine a thirdparty resident in the location and/or on the route of the vehicle;retrieve user preferences from the memory; determine, based on the userpreferences, whether the user would desire to communicate with the thirdparty; and automatically send a first communication to the third partyfor the user.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein, when the passenger entersthe vehicle a second time, the biometric information identifies thepassenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isan order for a good or service.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein user preference is a usualorder based on historical information from a user's past behavior.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the user is prompted toapprove the first communication with a user interface displayed in adisplay in the vehicle.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the vehicle sends a secondcommunication to complete an interaction with the third party.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second communicationis sent when the vehicle is in physical proximity to the third party.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second communicationis a final authorization for a transaction.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the final authorizationincludes a PIN entered by the user in a display of the vehicle.

A method for communicating information with a vehicle, comprising:determining a location and/or a route of the vehicle; determining athird party resident in the location and/or on the route of the vehicle;retrieving user preferences associated with a user in the vehicle from amemory; determining, based on the user preferences, whether the userwould desire to communicate with the third party; and automaticallysending a first communication to the third party for the user.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger, and wherein, when the passenger enters the vehicle a secondtime, the biometric information identifies the passenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isan order for a good or service, wherein user preference is a usual orderbased on historical information from a user's past behavior, and whereinthe user is prompted to approve the first communication with a userinterface displayed in a display in the vehicle.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the vehicle sends a secondcommunication to complete an interaction with the third party, andwherein the second communication is sent when the vehicle is in physicalproximity to the third party.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second communicationis a final authorization for a transaction, and wherein the finalauthorization includes a PIN entered by the user in a display of thevehicle.

A non-transitory information storage media having stored thereon one ormore instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause avehicle to perform a method, the method comprising: determining alocation and/or a route of the vehicle; determining a third partyresident in the location and/or on the route of the vehicle; retrievinguser preferences associated with a user in the vehicle from a memory;determining, based on the user preferences, whether the user woulddesire to communicate with the third party; and automatically sending afirst communication to the third party for the user.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger, and wherein, when the passenger enters the vehicle a secondtime, the biometric information identifies the passenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isan order for a good or service, wherein user preference is a usual orderbased on historical information from a user's past behavior, and whereinthe user is prompted to approve the first communication with a userinterface displayed in a display in the vehicle.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the vehicle sends a secondcommunication to complete an interaction with the third party, andwherein the second communication is sent when the vehicle is in physicalproximity to the third party.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second communicationis a final authorization for a transaction, and wherein the finalauthorization includes a PIN entered by the user in a display of thevehicle.

A vehicle, comprising: a display in the vehicle to display a userinterface; a processor in communication with the display, the processorto: determine a user in the vehicle desires to interact with a thirdparty; render the user interface for the display to requestauthorization from the user to allow a communication to the third party;receive user input associated with the request for authorization; andbased on the user input, automatically send a first communication to thethird party for the user.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein, when the passenger entersthe vehicle a second time, the biometric information identifies thepassenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isan order for a good or service.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the user interface is anauthorization for the vehicle to pre-order the good or service.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the vehicle sends a secondcommunication to complete an interaction with the third party.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second communicationis sent when the vehicle is in physical proximity to the third party.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second communicationis a final authorization for a transaction.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the user interface ispresented to authorize finally the second communication.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the final authorizationincludes a PIN entered by the user in the user interface.

A method for communicating information with a vehicle, comprising:determining a user in the vehicle desires to interact with a thirdparty; displaying a user interface to request authorization from theuser to allow a communication to the third party; receiving user inputassociated with the request for authorization; and based on the userinput, automatically sending a first communication to the third partyfor the user.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger, and wherein, when the passenger enters the vehicle a secondtime, the biometric information identifies the passenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isan order for a good or service, and wherein the user interface is anauthorization for the vehicle to pre-order the good or service.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the vehicle sends a secondcommunication to complete an interaction with the third party, andwherein the second communication is sent when the vehicle is in physicalproximity to the third party.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second communicationis a final authorization for a transaction, wherein the user interfaceis presented to authorize finally the second communication, and whereinthe final authorization includes a PIN entered by the user in the userinterface.

A non-transitory information storage media having stored thereon one ormore instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause avehicle to perform a method, the method comprising: determining a userin the vehicle desires to interact with a third party; displaying a userinterface to request authorization from the user to allow acommunication to the third party; receiving user input associated withthe request for authorization; and based on the user input,automatically sending a first communication to the third party for theuser.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger, and wherein, when the passenger enters the vehicle a secondtime, the biometric information identifies the passenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isan order for a good or service, and wherein the user interface is anauthorization for the vehicle to pre-order the good or service.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the vehicle sends a secondcommunication to complete an interaction with the third party, andwherein the second communication is sent when the vehicle is in physicalproximity to the third party.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second communicationis a final authorization for a transaction, wherein the user interfaceis presented to authorize finally the second communication, and whereinthe final authorization includes a PIN entered by the user in the userinterface.

A vehicle, comprising: a memory to: store user information associatedwith a user in the vehicle; store vehicle information associated withthe vehicle; a processor in communication with the memory, the processorto: determine the user desires to interact with a third party; retrieveuser information from the memory; retrieve vehicle information from thememory; combine the user information and the vehicle information into afirst communication for the third party; and automatically send thefirst communication to the third party for the user.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein, when the passenger entersthe vehicle a second time, the biometric information identifies thepassenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isan order for a good or service and the user information and vehicleinformation authenticate the user for the order.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the user informationcomprises financial information, biometric information, and/or a PIN.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the vehicle informationcomprises a vehicle identification number, an electronic serial number,and/or an engine code.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the vehicle sends a secondcommunication to complete an interaction with the third party, andwherein the second communication is sent when the vehicle is in physicalproximity to the third party.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second communicationis a final authorization for a transaction.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second communicationincludes user information or vehicle information not in the firstcommunication.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the final authorizationincludes a PIN entered by the user in a user interface in the vehicle.

A method for communicating information with a vehicle, comprising:storing user information associated with a user in the vehicle; storingvehicle information associated with the vehicle determining the userdesires to interact with a third party; combining the user informationand the vehicle information into a first communication for the thirdparty; and automatically send the first communication to the third partyfor the user.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger, and wherein, when the passenger enters the vehicle a secondtime, the biometric information identifies the passenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isan order for a good or service and the user information and vehicleinformation authenticate the user for the order.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the user informationcomprises financial information, biometric information, and/or a PIN,and wherein the vehicle information comprises a vehicle identificationnumber, an electronic serial number, and/or an engine code.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the vehicle sends a secondcommunication to complete an interaction with the third party, andwherein the second communication is sent when the vehicle is in physicalproximity to the third party, wherein the second communication is afinal authorization for a transaction, wherein the second communicationincludes user information or vehicle information not in the firstcommunication, and wherein the final authorization includes a PINentered by the user in a user interface in the vehicle.

A non-transitory information storage media having stored thereon one ormore instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause avehicle to perform a method, the method comprising: storing userinformation associated with a user in the vehicle; storing vehicleinformation associated with the vehicle determining the user desires tointeract with a third party; combining the user information and thevehicle information into a first communication for the third party; andautomatically send the first communication to the third party for theuser.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger, and wherein, when the passenger enters the vehicle a secondtime, the biometric information identifies the passenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isan order for a good or service and the user information and vehicleinformation authenticate the user for the order.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the user informationcomprises financial information, biometric information, and/or a PIN,and wherein the vehicle information comprises a vehicle identificationnumber, an electronic serial number, and/or an engine code.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the vehicle sends a secondcommunication to complete an interaction with the third party, andwherein the second communication is sent when the vehicle is in physicalproximity to the third party, wherein the second communication is afinal authorization for a transaction, wherein the second communicationincludes user information or vehicle information not in the firstcommunication, and wherein the final authorization includes a PINentered by the user in a user interface in the vehicle.

A vehicle, comprising: a memory to store limits on communicationsassociated with a user in the vehicle; a processor in communication withthe memory, the processor to: determine the user desires to interactwith a third party; retrieve the limits from the memory; based on thelimits, determine if the vehicle can send a first communication for thethird party; and when allowed by the limits, automatically send thefirst communication to the third party for the user.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein, when the passenger entersthe vehicle a second time, the biometric information identifies thepassenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isan order for a good or service and the limits are a monetary limitapplied to the order.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the limit applies only tothe user and the vehicle.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the limit applies only tothe user and to two or more vehicles.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the limit applies only totwo or more users and the vehicle.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the limit is set on theuser by a second user.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the limit is on a numberof communications that may be completed between the vehicle and thirdparty.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the limit only applies fora predetermined time period or route.

A method for communicating information with a vehicle, comprising: amemory storing limits on communications associated with a user in thevehicle; a processor determining the user desires to interact with athird party; retrieving the limits from the memory; based on the limits,determining if the vehicle can send a first communication for the thirdparty; and when allowed by the limits, automatically sending the firstcommunication to the third party for the user.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives, and wherein, when the passenger enters the vehiclea second time, the biometric information identifies the passenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isan order for a good or service and the limits are a monetary limitapplied to the order.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein one or more of: the limitapplies only to the user and the vehicle, the limit applies only to theuser and to two or more vehicles, the limit applies only to two or moreusers and the vehicle, and/or the limit is set on the user by a seconduser.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the limit only applies fora predetermined time period or route.

A non-transitory information storage media having stored thereon one ormore instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause avehicle to perform a method, the method comprising: storing limits oncommunications associated with a user in the vehicle; determining theuser desires to interact with a third party; retrieving the limits fromthe memory; based on the limits, determining if the vehicle can send afirst communication for the third party; and when allowed by the limits,automatically sending the first communication to the third party for theuser.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives, and wherein, when the passenger enters the vehiclea second time, the biometric information identifies the passenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isan order for a good or service and the limits are a monetary limitapplied to the order.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein one or more of: the limitapplies only to the user and the vehicle, the limit applies only to theuser and to two or more vehicles, the limit applies only to two or moreusers and the vehicle, and/or the limit is set on the user by a seconduser.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the limit only applies fora predetermined time period or route.

A vehicle, comprising: a memory to store a user rule applicable tocommunications associated with a user in the vehicle; a processor incommunication with the memory, the processor to: determine a need forcommunication with a third party; retrieve the user rule from thememory; based on the user rule, determine to which third party thevehicle can send a first communication to address the need; select thethird party; and when determined by the user rule, automatically sendthe first communication to the selected third party to address the need.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein, when the passenger entersthe vehicle a second time, the biometric information identifies thepassenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isan order for a good or service.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the user rule determines adistance the vehicle can travel to the third party.

6Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the user rule determinesa monetary amount the vehicle can pay to the third party.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the user rule allows theprocessor to bargain with the third party.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the third party also has avendor rule to govern an interaction with the vehicle.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the use rule allows asearch of two or more third parties that can address the need.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the user rule is a timelimit to address the need.

A method for communicating information with a vehicle, comprising: amemory storing a user rule applicable to communications associated witha user in the vehicle; a processor determining a need for communicationwith a third party; retrieving the user rule from the memory; based onthe user rule, determining to which third party the vehicle can send afirst communication to address the need; selecting the third party; andwhen determined by the user rule, automatically sending the firstcommunication to the selected third party to address the need.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger, and wherein, when the passenger enters the vehicle a secondtime, the biometric information identifies the passenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isan order for a good or service.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein one or more of: whereinthe user rule determines a distance the vehicle can travel to the thirdparty, wherein the user rule determines a monetary amount the vehiclecan pay to the third party, wherein the user rule allows the processorto bargain with the third, and/or wherein the user rule is a time limitto address the need.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the use rule allows asearch of two or more third parties that can address the need.

A non-transitory information storage media having stored thereon one ormore instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause avehicle to perform a method, the method comprising: storing a user ruleapplicable to communications associated with a user in the vehicle;determining a need for communication with a third party; retrieving theuser rule from the memory; based on the user rule, determining to whichthird party the vehicle can send a first communication to address theneed; selecting the third party; and when determined by the user rule,automatically sending the first communication to the selected thirdparty to address the need.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger, and wherein, when the passenger enters the vehicle a secondtime, the biometric information identifies the passenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isan order for a good or service.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein one or more of: whereinthe user rule determines a distance the vehicle can travel to the thirdparty, wherein the user rule determines a monetary amount the vehiclecan pay to the third party, wherein the user rule allows the processorto bargain with the third, and/or wherein the user rule is a time limitto address the need.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the use rule allows asearch of two or more third parties that can address the need.

A vehicle, comprising: a memory to store triggering event informationapplicable to communications associated with a user in the vehicle; aprocessor in communication with the memory, the processor to: determinea triggering event has occurred; retrieve the triggering eventinformation from the memory; based on the triggering event information,determine a third party to which the vehicle send a first communication;and when determined by the trigger event information, automatically sendthe first communication to the selected third party to address the need.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein, when the passenger entersthe vehicle a second time, the biometric information identifies thepassenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isan order for a good or service.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the triggering eventinformation causes a change to a user interface in the vehicle.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the triggering event is aweather related event.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communicationpurchases weather information to be overlaid on the user interface.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the triggering event is apolice action.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communicationpurchases real time traffic information to be overlaid on the userinterface to avoid the police action.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the triggering event is amalfunction of the vehicle, and wherein the first communicationpurchases a tow service or a part to address the malfunction.

A method for communicating information with a vehicle, comprising: amemory storing triggering event information applicable to communicationsassociated with a user in the vehicle; a processor determining atriggering event has occurred; retrieving the triggering eventinformation from the memory; based on the triggering event information,determining a third party to which the vehicle send a firstcommunication; and when determined by the trigger event information,automatically sending the first communication to the selected thirdparty to address the need.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger, and wherein, when the passenger enters the vehicle a secondtime, the biometric information identifies the passenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isan order for a good or service.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the triggering eventinformation causes a change to a user interface in the vehicle, whereinthe triggering event is a weather related event, and wherein the firstcommunication purchases weather information to be overlaid on the userinterface.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the triggering eventinformation causes a change to a user interface in the vehicle, whereinthe triggering event is a police action, and wherein the firstcommunication purchases real time traffic information to be overlaid onthe user interface to avoid the police action.

A non-transitory information storage media having stored thereon one ormore instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause avehicle to perform a method, the method comprising: storing triggeringevent information applicable to communications associated with a user inthe vehicle; determining a triggering event has occurred; retrieving thetriggering event information from the memory; based on the triggeringevent information, determining a third party to which the vehicle send afirst communication; and when determined by the trigger eventinformation, automatically sending the first communication to theselected third party to address the need.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger, and wherein, when the passenger enters the vehicle a secondtime, the biometric information identifies the passenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isan order for a good or service.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the triggering eventinformation causes a change to a user interface in the vehicle, whereinthe triggering event is a weather related event, and wherein the firstcommunication purchases weather information to be overlaid on the userinterface.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the triggering eventinformation causes a change to a user interface in the vehicle, whereinthe triggering event is a police action, and wherein the firstcommunication purchases real time traffic information to be overlaid onthe user interface to avoid the police action.

A vehicle, comprising: two or more soft touch radio frequency (RF)antennas to communicate sensitive information associated with a user ofthe vehicle; two or more RF transceivers, each RF transceiver associatedwith one of the two or more soft touch RF antennas, the two or more RFtransceivers to communicate sensitive information associated with a userof the vehicle; a processor in communication with the two or more RFtransceivers, the processor to: receive an input to deploy one of thetwo or more RF antennas; select a first RF transceiver associated withthe deployed RF antenna to send the sensitive information; and send thesensitive information to the first RF transceiver.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the RF transceiver and RFantenna are a radio frequency identification device.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the RFID device is anactive RFID device.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the deployed RF antenna islocated near a side mirror of the vehicle.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the deployed RF antennacontacts a pad physically attached to a structure, associated with asecond RF antenna, in physical proximity with a drive through window ofa drive through restaurant.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the deployed RF antenna islocated on a roof of the vehicle.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the deployed RF antennacontacts a pad physically attached to a structure, associated with asecond RF antenna, above the vehicle in a toll lane.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the deployed RF antenna islocated near a charging port or a gas refill door.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the deployed RF antennacontacts a pad physically attached to a structure on a charging stationor gas pump.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the vehiclecontemporaneously communicates through two or more soft touch RFantennas.

A method for communicating information with a vehicle, comprising:receiving an input to deploy one of two or more soft touch radiofrequency (RF) antennas to communicate sensitive information associatedwith a user of the vehicle; selecting a first RF transceiver associatedwith the deployed RF antenna to send the sensitive information; andsending the sensitive information through the first RF transceiver.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the RF transceiver and RFantenna are a radio frequency identification device, and wherein theRFID device is an active RFID device.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the deployed RF antenna islocated near a side mirror of the vehicle, and wherein the deployed RFantenna contacts a pad physically attached to a structure, associatedwith a second RF antenna, in physical proximity with a drive throughwindow of a drive through restaurant.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the deployed RF antenna islocated on a roof of the vehicle, and wherein the deployed RF antennacontacts a pad physically attached to a structure, associated with asecond RF antenna, above the vehicle in a toll lane.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the deployed RF antenna islocated near a charging port or a gas refill door, and wherein thedeployed RF antenna contacts a pad physically attached to a structure ona charging station or gas pump.

A non-transitory information storage media having stored thereon one ormore instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause avehicle to perform a method, the method comprising: receiving an inputto deploy one of two or more soft touch radio frequency (RF) antennas tocommunicate sensitive information associated with a user of the vehicle;selecting a first RF transceiver associated with the deployed RF antennato send the sensitive information; and sending the sensitive informationthrough the first RF transceiver.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the RF transceiver and RFantenna are a radio frequency identification device, and wherein theRFID device is an active RFID device.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the deployed RF antenna islocated near a side mirror of the vehicle, and wherein the deployed RFantenna contacts a pad physically attached to a structure, associatedwith a second RF antenna, in physical proximity with a drive throughwindow of a drive through restaurant.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the deployed RF antenna islocated on a roof of the vehicle, and wherein the deployed RF antennacontacts a pad physically attached to a structure, associated with asecond RF antenna, above the vehicle in a toll lane.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the deployed RF antenna islocated near a charging port or a gas refill door, and wherein thedeployed RF antenna contacts a pad physically attached to a structure ona charging station or gas pump.

A vehicle, comprising: a memory to: store sensitive informationassociated with a user in the vehicle; store user preferences associatedwith a user in the vehicle a processor in communication with the memory,the processor to: based on the user preferences, determine the userdesires to communicate with a third party in an interaction;automatically send a first communication to the third party; and send asecond communication to the third party for the user to complete theinteraction.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein, when the passenger entersthe vehicle a second time, the biometric information identifies thepassenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isa pre-order for a good or service.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein user preference is a usualorder based on historical information from a user's past behavior.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the user is prompted toapprove the first communication with a user interface displayed in adisplay in the vehicle.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second communicationis an authorization to complete the order with the third party.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second communicationis sent when the vehicle is in physical proximity to the third party.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication issent over a first communication network, wherein the secondcommunication is sent over a second communication network, and whereinthe first and second communication networks are different.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication issent when the vehicle is distant from the third party.

A method for communicating information with a vehicle, comprising:storing sensitive information associated with a user in the vehicle;storing user preferences associated with a user in the vehicle based onthe user preferences, determining the user desires to communicate with athird party in an interaction; automatically sending a firstcommunication to the third party; and sending a second communication tothe third party for the user to complete the interaction.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger, and wherein, when the passenger enters the vehicle a secondtime, the biometric information identifies the passenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isa pre-order for a good or service.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein user preference is a usualorder based on historical information from a user's past behavior, andwherein the user is prompted to approve the first communication with auser interface displayed in a display in the vehicle.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second communicationis sent when the vehicle is in physical proximity to the third party,wherein the first communication is sent over a first communicationnetwork, wherein the second communication is sent over a secondcommunication network, and wherein the first and second communicationnetworks are different, and wherein the first communication is sent whenthe vehicle is distant from the third party.

A non-transitory information storage media having stored thereon one ormore instructions, that when executed by one or more processors, cause avehicle to perform a method, the method comprising: storing sensitiveinformation associated with a user in the vehicle; storing userpreferences associated with a user in the vehicle based on the userpreferences, determining the user desires to communicate with a thirdparty in an interaction; automatically sending a first communication tothe third party; and sending a second communication to the third partyfor the user to complete the interaction.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein a sensor associated withthe vehicle receives biometric information associated with thepassenger, and wherein, when the passenger enters the vehicle a secondtime, the biometric information identifies the passenger.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the first communication isa pre-order for a good or service.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein user preference is a usualorder based on historical information from a user's past behavior, andwherein the user is prompted to approve the first communication with auser interface displayed in a display in the vehicle.

Any of the one or more above aspects, wherein the second communicationis sent when the vehicle is in physical proximity to the third party,wherein the first communication is sent over a first communicationnetwork, wherein the second communication is sent over a secondcommunication network, and wherein the first and second communicationnetworks are different, and wherein the first communication is sent whenthe vehicle is distant from the third party.

A means, system, SOC, ASIC, FPGA, device, circuit, component, softwarecomponent, or other module for conducting any of the methods and/or anyof the one or more aspects above.

The exemplary systems and methods of this disclosure have been describedin relation to vehicle systems and electric vehicles. However, to avoidunnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure, the precedingdescription omits a number of known structures and devices. Thisomission is not to be construed as a limitation of the scope of theclaimed disclosure. Specific details are set forth to provide anunderstanding of the present disclosure. It should, however, beappreciated that the present disclosure may be practiced in a variety ofways beyond the specific detail set forth herein.

Furthermore, while the exemplary embodiments illustrated herein show thevarious components of the system collocated, certain components of thesystem can be located remotely, at distant portions of a distributednetwork, such as a LAN and/or the Internet, or within a dedicatedsystem. Thus, it should be appreciated, that the components of thesystem can be combined into one or more devices, such as a server,communication device, or collocated on a particular node of adistributed network, such as an analog and/or digital telecommunicationsnetwork, a packet-switched network, or a circuit-switched network. Itwill be appreciated from the preceding description, and for reasons ofcomputational efficiency, that the components of the system can bearranged at any location within a distributed network of componentswithout affecting the operation of the system. For example, the variouscomponents can be located in a switch such as a PBX and media server,gateway, in one or more communications devices, at one or more users'premises, or some combination thereof. Similarly, one or more functionalportions of the system could be distributed between a telecommunicationsdevice(s) and an associated computing device.

Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the various links connectingthe elements can be wired or wireless links, or any combination thereof,or any other known or later developed element(s) that is capable ofsupplying and/or communicating data to and from the connected elements.These wired or wireless links can also be secure links and may becapable of communicating encrypted information. Transmission media usedas links, for example, can be any suitable carrier for electricalsignals, including coaxial cables, copper wire, and fiber optics, andmay take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generatedduring radio-wave and infra-red data communications.

While the flowcharts have been discussed and illustrated in relation toa particular sequence of events, it should be appreciated that changes,additions, and omissions to this sequence can occur without materiallyaffecting the operation of the disclosed embodiments, configuration, andaspects.

A number of variations and modifications of the disclosure can be used.It would be possible to provide for some features of the disclosurewithout providing others.

In yet another embodiment, the systems and methods of this disclosurecan be implemented in conjunction with a special purpose computer, aprogrammed microprocessor or microcontroller and peripheral integratedcircuit element(s), an ASIC or other integrated circuit, a digitalsignal processor, a hard-wired electronic or logic circuit such asdiscrete element circuit, a programmable logic device or gate array suchas PLD, PLA, FPGA, PAL, special purpose computer, any comparable means,or the like. In general, any device(s) or means capable of implementingthe methodology illustrated herein can be used to implement the variousaspects of this disclosure. Exemplary hardware that can be used for thepresent disclosure includes computers, handheld devices, telephones(e.g., cellular, Internet enabled, digital, analog, hybrids, andothers), and other hardware known in the art. Some of these devicesinclude processors (e.g., a single or multiple microprocessors), memory,nonvolatile storage, input devices, and output devices. Furthermore,alternative software implementations including, but not limited to,distributed processing or component/object distributed processing,parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also beconstructed to implement the methods described herein.

In yet another embodiment, the disclosed methods may be readilyimplemented in conjunction with software using object or object-orientedsoftware development environments that provide portable source code thatcan be used on a variety of computer or workstation platforms.Alternatively, the disclosed system may be implemented partially orfully in hardware using standard logic circuits or VLSI design. Whethersoftware or hardware is used to implement the systems in accordance withthis disclosure is dependent on the speed and/or efficiency requirementsof the system, the particular function, and the particular software orhardware systems or microprocessor or microcomputer systems beingutilized.

In yet another embodiment, the disclosed methods may be partiallyimplemented in software that can be stored on a storage medium, executedon programmed general-purpose computer with the cooperation of acontroller and memory, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, orthe like. In these instances, the systems and methods of this disclosurecan be implemented as a program embedded on a personal computer such asan applet, JAVA® or CGI script, as a resource residing on a server orcomputer workstation, as a routine embedded in a dedicated measurementsystem, system component, or the like. The system can also beimplemented by physically incorporating the system and/or method into asoftware and/or hardware system.

Although the present disclosure describes components and functionsimplemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standardsand protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards andprotocols. Other similar standards and protocols not mentioned hereinare in existence and are considered to be included in the presentdisclosure. Moreover, the standards and protocols mentioned herein andother similar standards and protocols not mentioned herein areperiodically superseded by faster or more effective equivalents havingessentially the same functions. Such replacement standards and protocolshaving the same functions are considered equivalents included in thepresent disclosure.

The present disclosure, in various embodiments, configurations, andaspects, includes components, methods, processes, systems and/orapparatus substantially as depicted and described herein, includingvarious embodiments, subcombinations, and subsets thereof. Those ofskill in the art will understand how to make and use the systems andmethods disclosed herein after understanding the present disclosure. Thepresent disclosure, in various embodiments, configurations, and aspects,includes providing devices and processes in the absence of items notdepicted and/or described herein or in various embodiments,configurations, or aspects hereof, including in the absence of suchitems as may have been used in previous devices or processes, e.g., forimproving performance, achieving ease, and/or reducing cost ofimplementation.

The foregoing discussion of the disclosure has been presented forpurposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intendedto limit the disclosure to the form or forms disclosed herein. In theforegoing Detailed Description for example, various features of thedisclosure are grouped together in one or more embodiments,configurations, or aspects for the purpose of streamlining thedisclosure. The features of the embodiments, configurations, or aspectsof the disclosure may be combined in alternate embodiments,configurations, or aspects other than those discussed above. This methodof disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention thatthe claimed disclosure requires more features than are expressly recitedin each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventiveaspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosedembodiment, configuration, or aspect. Thus, the following claims arehereby incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claimstanding on its own as a separate preferred embodiment of thedisclosure.

Moreover, though the description of the disclosure has includeddescription of one or more embodiments, configurations, or aspects andcertain variations and modifications, other variations, combinations,and modifications are within the scope of the disclosure, e.g., as maybe within the skill and knowledge of those in the art, afterunderstanding the present disclosure. It is intended to obtain rights,which include alternative embodiments, configurations, or aspects to theextent permitted, including alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalentstructures, functions, ranges, or steps to those claimed, whether or notsuch alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions,ranges, or steps are disclosed herein, and without intending to publiclydedicate any patentable subject matter.

The phrases “at least one,” “one or more,” “or,” and “and/or” areopen-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive inoperation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, Band C,” “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” “oneor more of A, B, or C,” “A, B, and/or C,” and “A, B, or C” means Aalone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and Ctogether, or A, B and C together.

The term “a” or “an” entity refers to one or more of that entity. Assuch, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more,” and “at least one” can beused interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms“comprising,” “including,” and “having” can be used interchangeably.

The term “automatic” and variations thereof, as used herein, refers toany process or operation, which is typically continuous orsemi-continuous, done without material human input when the process oroperation is performed. However, a process or operation can beautomatic, even though performance of the process or operation usesmaterial or immaterial human input, if the input is received beforeperformance of the process or operation. Human input is deemed to bematerial if such input influences how the process or operation will beperformed. Human input that consents to the performance of the processor operation is not deemed to be “material.”

Aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of an embodimentthat is entirely hardware, an embodiment that is entirely software(including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or anembodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module,” or “system.”Any combination of one or more computer-readable medium(s) may beutilized. The computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signalmedium or a computer-readable storage medium.

A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limitedto, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, orsemiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combinationof the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of thecomputer-readable storage medium would include the following: anelectrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computerdiskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory(ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flashmemory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory(CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or anysuitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document,a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that cancontain or store a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

A computer-readable signal medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer-readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electromagnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer-readable signal medium may be any computer-readable medium thatis not a computer-readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Program codeembodied on a computer-readable medium may be transmitted using anyappropriate medium, including, but not limited to, wireless, wireline,optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of theforegoing.

The terms “determine,” “calculate,” “compute,” and variations thereof,as used herein, are used interchangeably and include any type ofmethodology, process, mathematical operation or technique.

Examples of the processors as described herein may include, but are notlimited to, at least one of Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 800 and 801, Qualcomm®Snapdragon® 610 and 615 with 4G LTE Integration and 64-bit computing,Apple® A7 processor with 64-bit architecture, Apple® M7 motioncoprocessors, Samsung® Exynos® series, the Intel® Core™ family ofprocessors, the Intel® Xeon® family of processors, the Intel® Atom™family of processors, the Intel Itanium® family of processors, Intel®Core® i5-4670K and i7-4770K 22 nm Haswell, Intel® Core® i5-3570K 22 nmIvy Bridge, the AMD® FX™ family of processors, AMD® FX-4300, FX-6300,and FX-8350 32 nm Vishera, AMD® Kaveri processors, Texas Instruments®Jacinto C6000™ automotive infotainment processors, Texas Instruments®OMAP™ automotive-grade mobile processors, ARM® Cortex™-M processors,ARM® Cortex-A and ARM926EJ-S™ processors, other industry-equivalentprocessors, and may perform computational functions using any known orfuture-developed standard, instruction set, libraries, and/orarchitecture.

The term “means” as used herein shall be given its broadest possibleinterpretation in accordance with 35 U.S.C., Section 112(f) and/orSection 112, Paragraph 6. Accordingly, a claim incorporating the term“means” shall cover all structures, materials, or acts set forth herein,and all of the equivalents thereof. Further, the structures, materialsor acts and the equivalents thereof shall include all those described inthe summary, brief description of the drawings, detailed description,abstract, and claims themselves.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A vehicle, comprising: a sensor to: detect a firstpresence of a driver in a vehicle; a memory to: store first sensitiveinformation for the driver of the vehicle; a processor in communicationwith the sensor and the memory, the processor to: receive the firstpresence; based upon receiving the first presence, provide a userinterface for the driver to enter first user information, the first userinformation comprising financial information for the driver; receivevehicle information associated with the vehicle; combine the first userinformation and the vehicle information to generate the first sensitiveinformation; send the first sensitive information to the memory forstorage; and communicate the first sensitive information to a vendor toauthenticate the driver to enable the vendor to perform a financialtransaction with the driver using the first sensitive information whilethe vehicle is in motion, wherein the processor is programmed toinitiate automatically, on behalf of the driver, the financialtransaction with the vendor in response to a sensed state or location ofthe vehicle.
 22. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein the sensor detects asecond presence of a passenger in the vehicle, wherein the processorreceives the second presence, provides a user interface for thepassenger to enter second user information; receives the second userinformation for the passenger; combines the second user information andthe vehicle information to generate second sensitive information; andsends the second sensitive information to the memory for storage,wherein the sensor receives biometric information associated with thepassenger to determine the second presence, wherein the second sensitiveinformation comprises financial information of the passenger, whereinthe biometric information comprises one or more of facial structure,facial recognition information, voiceprint, voice recognitioninformation, eye color, DNA information, and fingerprint information,wherein the second financial transaction is initiated by a request fromthe vendor, wherein the processor, as part of the request, communicatesthe second sensitive information to the vendor to authenticate thepassenger to enable the vendor to perform a financial transaction withthe passenger using the second sensitive information, wherein theprocessor is programmed to initiate automatically, on behalf of thepassenger and while the vehicle is in motion, the financial transactionwith the vendor in response to a sensed state or location of thevehicle, and wherein, in response to the request, the processorpre-filters the associated transaction request before presenting thetransaction request to the passenger by a second user interface.
 23. Thevehicle of claim 22, wherein the biometric information is also storedwith the sensitive information, wherein the second sensitive informationcomprises mobile device information of a device associated with thepassenger, wherein the mobile device information comprises one or moreof the mobile device number, the media access control (MAC) address, anda uniform resource locator (URL), and wherein the first sensitiveinformation comprises a limit on the financial transaction of thepassenger, the limit comprising one or more of a transaction amountlimit and a limit on a number of transactions.
 24. The vehicle of claim21, wherein the first sensitive information comprises vehicleinformation, the vehicle information comprising one or more of a vehicleidentification number (VIN), engine code, and electronic serial number(ESN), wherein the processor provides an authorization to the vendor,wherein the authorization comprises the vehicle information and thefinancial information of the driver, wherein the vehicle uses differentcommunication protocols to provide the vehicle information and financialinformation, and wherein a first of the different communicationprotocols is one or more of a near field communications (NFC),BLUETOOTH™, Low Energy (BLE), and radio frequency identification (RFID)protocol and a second of the different communication protocols is acellular network communication protocol.
 25. The vehicle of claim 21,wherein the first sensitive information is encrypted in the memory,wherein the processor authorizes the financial transaction in responseto a plurality of a vehicle location, speed, proximity to a location,preference data and historical information associated with the driver orpassenger, wherein the user information comprises one or more of abiometric, a username. a password, mobile device information, paymentinformation, a personal identification number, identifiers, an address,limits, preferences, and/or rules, wherein the processor, in response toa first event, the first event being a vehicle route, automaticallyforwards a first portion of a secure communication to the vendor topreorder a good or service of the vendor in connection with atransaction with the driver, and wherein the processor, in response to alater second event, the second event being a vehicle location,automatically completes the transaction by providing financialinformation to the vendor.
 26. The vehicle of claim 25, wherein the userinformation comprises one or more of a desired product of the vendor, adesired service of the vendor, and/or a triggering event, the triggeringevent being a weather condition and wherein the processor provides tothe vendor, by a first communication protocol, an order of a good orservice and by a different second protocol, financial information of thedriver or passenger associated with the order.
 27. The vehicle of claim22, wherein the processor is authorized and programmed to initiateautomatically on behalf of the driver or passenger and without furtherinput from the driver or passenger a financial transaction with avendor, wherein the authorization is restricted temporally or limited toa selected route or spatial location of the vehicle, wherein the userinterface receives input from the passenger in the user interface andfurther comprising an active or passive payment device positioned on ornear an outer surface of the vehicle, the payment device using one ormore of near field communications (NFC), BLUETOOTH™, Low Energy (BLE),and radio frequency identification (RFID) protocol to provide wirelesslyfinancial information of the driver or passenger to the vendor.
 28. Thevehicle of claim 21, further comprising a deployable antenna that one ormore of physically contacts a receiving pad of the vendor as the vehicleis in proximity to the vendor and communicates with a receiver of thevendor by a near field communication protocol to provide the financialinformation to the vendor.
 29. The vehicle of claim 21, furthercomprising: two or more radio frequency (RF) antennas to communicatewirelessly sensitive information associated with a user of the vehicle,the two or more RF antennas being at different physical locations on anexterior of the vehicle; two or more RF transceivers, each RFtransceiver associated with one of the two or more RF antennas, the twoor more RF transceivers to communicate wirelessly sensitive informationassociated with a user of the vehicle; wherein the processor is incommunication with the two or more RF transceivers and: determines whichone of the two or more RF antennas is receiving a strongest signal froma common signal source; selects a first RF transceiver associated withthe RF antenna with the strongest signal to send the sensitiveinformation to the common signal source; and sends the sensitiveinformation to the first RF transceiver for transmission to the commonsignal source.
 30. The vehicle of claim 29, wherein the RF transceiverand RF antenna are a radio frequency identification device and wherein afirst of the RF antennas is located at one or more of at or in proximityto a driver side of the vehicle, an overhead location on the vehicle, anunder carriage location on the vehicle, and a gas tank of the vehicleand a second of the RF antennas is located at a different of the one ormore of at or in proximity to a driver side of the vehicle, an overheadlocation on the vehicle, an under carriage location on the vehicle, anda gas tank of the vehicle.
 30. A method for communicating informationwith a vehicle, comprising: detecting, by a processor, a first presenceof a driver in a vehicle; based upon receiving the first presence,providing, by the processor, a user interface for the driver to enterfirst user information; receiving, by the processor, vehicle informationassociated with the vehicle; combining, by processor, the first userinformation and the vehicle information to generate first sensitiveinformation; sending, by the processor, the first sensitive informationto the memory for storage; communicating, by the processor, the firstsensitive information to a vendor to authenticate the driver and enablethe vendor to perform to perform a financial transaction with the driverusing the first sensitive information while the vehicle is in motion,wherein the processor initiates automatically, on behalf of the driver,the financial transaction with the vendor in response to a sensed stateor location of the vehicle.
 31. The method of claim 30, wherein thesensor detects a second presence of a passenger in the vehicle, whereinthe processor receives the second presence, provides a user interfacefor the passenger to enter second user information; receives the seconduser information for the passenger; combines the second user informationand the vehicle information to generate second sensitive information;and sends the second sensitive information to the memory for storage,wherein the sensor receives biometric information associated with thepassenger to determine the second presence, wherein the second sensitiveinformation comprises financial information of the passenger, whereinthe biometric information comprises one or more of facial structure,facial recognition information, voiceprint, voice recognitioninformation, eye color, DNA information, and fingerprint information,wherein the second financial transaction is initiated by a request fromthe vendor, wherein the processor, as part of the request, communicatesthe second sensitive information to the vendor to authenticate thepassenger to enable the vendor to perform a financial transaction withthe passenger using the second sensitive information, wherein theprocessor is programmed to initiate automatically, on behalf of thepassenger and while the vehicle is in motion, the financial transactionwith the vendor in response to a sensed state or location of thevehicle, wherein, in response to the request, the processor pre-filtersthe associated transaction request before presenting the transactionrequest to the passenger by a second user interface, wherein thebiometric information is also stored with the sensitive information,wherein the second sensitive information comprises mobile deviceinformation of a device associated with the passenger, wherein themobile device information comprises one or more of the mobile devicenumber, the media access control (MAC) address, and a uniform resourcelocator (URL), and wherein the first sensitive information comprises alimit on the financial transaction of the passenger, the limitcomprising one or more of a transaction amount limit and a limit on anumber of transactions.
 32. The method of claim 30, wherein the firstsensitive information is sent to the vendor to authenticate the driver,wherein the memory comprises vehicle information comprising one or moreof a vehicle identification number (VIN), engine code, and electronicserial number (ESN), wherein the processor provides an authorization tothe vendor, wherein the authorization comprises the vehicle informationand the financial information of the driver, wherein the vehicle usesdifferent communication protocols to provide the vehicle information andfinancial information, and wherein a first of the differentcommunication protocols is one or more of a near field communications(NFC), BLUETOOTH™, Low Energy (BLE), and radio frequency identification(RFID) protocol and a second of the different communication protocols isa cellular network communication protocol.
 33. The method of claim 30,wherein the first sensitive information is encrypted in the memory andwherein the processor authorizes the financial transaction in responseto a plurality of a vehicle location, speed, proximity to a location,preference data and historical information associated with the driver orpassenger, wherein the user information comprises one or more of abiometric, a username. a password, mobile device information, paymentinformation, a personal identification number, identifiers, an address,limits, preferences, and/or rules, wherein the processor, in response toa first event, the first event being a vehicle route, automaticallyforwards a first portion of a secure communication to the vendor topreorder a good or service of the vendor in connection with atransaction with the driver, and wherein the processor, in response to alater second event, the second event being a vehicle location,automatically completes the transaction by providing financialinformation to the vendor.
 34. The method of claim 33, wherein the userinformation comprises one or more of a desired product of the vendor, adesired service of the vendor, and/or a triggering event, the triggeringevent being a weather condition and wherein the processor provides tothe vendor, by a first communication protocol, an order of a good orservice and by a different second protocol, financial information of thedriver or passenger associated with the order.
 35. The method of claim31, wherein the processor is authorized and programmed to initiateautomatically on behalf of the driver or passenger and without furtherinput from the driver or passenger a financial transaction with avendor, and wherein the authorization is restricted temporally orlimited to a selected route or spatial location of the vehicle.
 36. Themethod of claim 35 wherein the user interface receives input from thepassenger in the user interface and further comprising an active orpassive payment device positioned on or near an outer surface of thevehicle, the payment device using one or more of near fieldcommunications (NFC), BLUETOOTH™, Low Energy (BLE), and radio frequencyidentification (RFID) protocol to provide wirelessly financialinformation of the driver or passenger to the vendor.
 37. The method ofclaim 30, wherein the vehicle further comprises a deployable antennathat one or more of physically contacts a receiving pad of the vendor asthe vehicle is in proximity to the vendor and communicates with areceiver of the vendor by a near field communication protocol to providethe financial information to the vendor.
 38. The method of claim 30,wherein the vehicle further comprises: two or more radio frequency (RF)antennas to communicate wirelessly sensitive information associated witha user of the vehicle, the two or more RF antennas being at differentphysical locations on an exterior of the vehicle; and two or more RFtransceivers, each RF transceiver associated with one of the two or moreRF antennas, the two or more RF transceivers to communicate wirelesslysensitive information associated with a user of the vehicle, wherein theprocessor is in communication with the two or more RF transceivers andfurther comprising: determining, by the processor, which one of the twoor more RF antennas is receiving a strongest signal from a common signalsource; selecting, by the processor, a first RF transceiver associatedwith the RF antenna with the strongest signal to send the sensitiveinformation to the common signal source; and sending, by the processor,the sensitive information to the first RF transceiver for transmissionto the common signal source.
 39. The method of claim 30, wherein thefirst sensitive information sent to the vendor is a token toauthenticate the driver and/or the vehicle, wherein the token is one ormore of: time-based and expires after a predetermined period of time;and/or transaction-based and expires after a transaction with the vendoris completed.
 40. A vehicle, comprising: a sensor to: detect a firstpresence of a driver in a vehicle; a memory to: store first sensitiveinformation for the driver of the vehicle; a processor in communicationwith the sensor and the memory, the processor to: receive the firstpresence; based upon receiving the first presence, provide a userinterface for the driver to enter first user information, the first userinformation comprising financial information for the driver; receivevehicle information associated with the vehicle; combine the first userinformation and the vehicle information to generate the first sensitiveinformation; send the first sensitive information to the memory forstorage; and communicate the first sensitive information to a chargingfacility to authenticate the driver and/or the vehicle and enable thecharging facility to perform a financial transaction with the driverand/or the vehicle using the first sensitive information while thevehicle is in motion and/or at the charging facility, wherein theprocessor is programmed to initiate automatically, on behalf of thedriver, the financial transaction with the charging facility in responseto a sensed state or location of the vehicle, wherein the firstsensitive information comprises, as vehicle information, one or more ofa vehicle identification number (VIN), engine code, and electronicserial number (ESN), wherein the processor provides an authorization tothe charging facility, wherein the authorization comprises the firstsensitive information; wherein the first sensitive information sent tothe charging facility is a token to authenticate the driver and/or thevehicle, wherein the token is one or more of: time-based and expiresafter a predetermined period of time; and/or transaction-based andexpires after a transaction with the charging facility is completed.